


Like no one else

by likelikeLove



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Bickering, ChanBaek - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Violence, Romantic Comedy, Zombie Apocalypse, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likelikeLove/pseuds/likelikeLove
Summary: All Baekhyun wanted was an easy life. Instead, he got the end of the world, zombies and a date with a handsome anarchist, who might just save his life...that’s if he doesn’t get him killed first.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 136
Kudos: 113





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is an apocalypse/zombie au fic, which is way out of left field for me! It’s still my usual rom-com fluff though (I mean I'm basically just a marshmallow with a laptop at this point) just with some action/horror/blowing shit up thrown in.  
> No named characters die, I promise! And also, warning...there will be some eventual light smut.

Baekhyun stopped and looked back the way he’d been walking. He frowned, then turned slowly on the spot eyeing the buildings, the street, even the upturned burnt-out cars, it all looked very familiar. He was pretty sure he’d been down this street before. Great, so not only was he wandering aimlessly, he was going in circles now too. His eyes felt gritty with tiredness and he was thirsty and hungry. He hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in over 24 hours.

He scanned the buildings, looking as always for somewhere to rest, to hide, but the windows were all broken here as they had been everywhere else he’d been in the ruin that had once been Seoul. He’d been here before as a kid but couldn’t reconcile the way it was now with the vibrant, bustling, loud city it had been then. Now it was so quiet, it almost hurt his ears.

He decided to stop looking for somewhere to hide. What was the point anyway? Hell, if he was out of options, he’d start looking for trouble instead. He picked up a broken-off piece of wood and hit it hard against the side of an overturned car. The wood splintering against the metal made a satisfying crack which then echoed through the deserted street, bouncing off all the buildings with their windows blown out. He did it again, walking down the street hitting anything in reach that looked like it would make a loud noise, anything that would attract attention. Rebels, zombies, whatever showed up first, he didn’t care at this point, bring it on! He’d had enough of hiding and running.

The piece of wood shattered into useless fragments when he hit it against the side of an old electrical meter box. He looked around for another suitable piece of wood and found a decent sized plank nearby. He bent down and picked it up, it was as he was straightening up again, plank in hand that he heard it. A dragging, lurching sound combined with a guttural sort of grunting that made his stomach drop and his pulse race as the memories flooded back to him.

The first time he’d seen a zombie was 2 years ago, and it had been his father. He’d learnt then that you can’t reason with a zombie. For all it looked like him, the creature wasn’t his father anymore, it wasn’t even human. He’d seen many creatures like this since.

They said it was a virus, a man-made one, of course, some awful experiment which never should have existed in the first place. It had started to spread after Lab workers had accidentally been exposed to it and it had taken over so swiftly no defence had been possible. The looting has started almost immediately, gangs of rebels formed fighting the army which had deteriorated into nothing but a gang itself. Soon it was every man for himself.

This one had been a man once too, though he couldn’t tell how old he’d been. He had clearly been like this for a while, he was more decayed than any zombie Baekhyun had seen before. One of his arms was missing completely and flesh hung off the rest of him showing the dirty off-white hardness of bone in places.

The zombie came at him with surprising speed and he brandished the plank, even though he knew there was no point acting threateningly towards a zombie, they felt no fear.

Suddenly the smell of it reached Baekhyun, a rotting, putrid smell, that made him gag involuntarily. He didn’t want it to touch him, he didn’t want it near him.

He hit out at it with the plank, it made a sickeningly meaty thud as it smacked into the zombie’s chest. He expected it to fall back, but it didn’t, it didn’t even pause. He ran backward, hitting out desperately, but every blow just slowed him down and it didn’t seem to be having any effect on the zombie’s progress towards him.

His foot slipped on some rubble, and he skidded backward, stumbling and landing heavily on his butt. He dropped the plank and fumbled desperately, blind with panic and what he picked up this time was metal. A broken-off piece of pipe. He lashed out wildly as the zombie loomed over him. The first hit shattered the creature’s right kneecap, it staggered. He hit it again. The pipe was a better weapon than the plank had been, maybe he could find something even better. He scanned the ground, trying simultaneously to keep the Zombie in sight and continuing his violent swings with the pipe. For one hopeful second, he thought his prayers had been answered and the cylindrical metal object he spotted out of the corner of his eye was a gun. He soon realized it was some sort of metal gas bottle, laying in a pile of discarded protective clothes like they’d been thrown from one of the burnout cars. He didn’t stop to think and just blindly swung the metal bar, hit the tank and dented the metal, he hit out again, swinging around to keep the zombie back before connecting with the tank again, it made a wet hiss and the gas erupted out in an almost liquid stream. Maybe it was liquid, he wasn’t sure, but he hoped to god it was flammable. He picked up the tank with effort and managed to fumble in his pocket, at last pulling out his lighter. He lit it and held it to the stream forcing its way out of the ruined bottle.

It was definitely flammable. He barely had time to register his triumph before the force blew him backward. He managed with effort to stay on his feet. The zombie retreated. The horrible smell of singed human remains filled his nostrils. He could smell burning fabric too, he looked down in alarm and realised the right sleeve of his jacket had caught alight. He dreaded to think about how much of the liquid was on his clothes already. He let go of the tank, shrieking involuntarily as the fire spread up his arm. He frantically dropped to the ground and rolled; he couldn’t tell if it had burnt him already because he had so much adrenaline pumping through him. With an effort, he stopped himself from screaming. It seemed like the fire was out, the charred remains of the sleeve hung in burnt tatters around his elbow. He no longer wanted to attract attention. He wanted to run and hide, but he barely had the effort to stand. He looked up and his heart seemed to stop in his chest. The zombie was back now that the fire was gone and 4 more were closing in behind it.

He made eye contact with the half-rotted dead eyes of the first zombie for a second before it was slammed out of the way by a bright yellow vintage car. 

Baekhyun went limp with shock for a second before finally managing to scramble to his feet. The yellow car looked so ridiculously out of place that he thought for a second, he was delirious with fear, but the loud rumble of its engine seemed real enough. The ludicrous 70’s style muscle car had tinted windows and god knows who was driving it but at that moment it seemed a safer bet than a horde of zombies. He reached for the passenger side door and tried the handle. The door was locked, he rattled it frantically. The window inched down barely a crack and a deep voice from inside said, “Get in the trunk.”

“No,” Baekhyun yelled back. There was no way he was getting in a car trunk, especially when it was clear from what he could see through the inch of open window, that there was only the driver inside.

“Get in the trunk,” the driver called again.

“No! Open the door,” yelled Baekhyun, pulling at the locked door. He heard movement behind him and turned.

The other zombies had now climbed with callous inhuman indifference over the remains of the first and they were coming for him now.

He ran to the back of the car, heard the trunk lock pop open and raised it quickly. Scrambling inside he lay down and pulled the door down closed. He heard the lock click into place but even though he knew it was shut, he could see a tiny crack of light where the closure was and he held on with his fingers gripping the door tightly as he lay breathing hard. The trunk was much too small for a person, he was curled up awkwardly. He had no time to calm down or try to find a more comfortable position because the car immediately reversed at breakneck speed mowing down what sounded like at least 2 more zombies and throwing Baekhyun painfully against the side of the trunk when it braked suddenly. The car took off again in the other direction and he was thrown backwards. He rolled around, pieces of rubber hosing, ropes, gardening supplies and general debris rolling around with him as the car sped on.

He thought they had only been driving for about 10 minutes when they drove over a large concrete bump which made Baekhyun teeth rattle in his skull. He suspected they had entered some sort of building because the crack of light he’d been able to see was suddenly gone. He heard the hum of what sounded like an electric garage door. The car rolled to a stop and he lay feeling shell-shocked and barely having the effort to peel off a paper seed packet which had become stuck to the side of his face. His whole body felt bruised.

He heard the driver open the door, jump out and close the door again with a slam. Baekhyun doubted he was going to be left alone to lie there in peace, which is what he wanted. Sure enough, the trunk door opened abruptly.

Baekhyun looked up from where he lay at the tall boy who was looming over the now open trunk.

“Don’t worry, you’re ok now,” said the boy who surprisingly looked around his own age.

Baekhyun had been expecting someone older and only the fact that this boy spoke in the same deep voice as the driver convinced him they were indeed the same person. He had pale, odd coloured hair that Baekhyun couldn’t quite tell what colour it was in the half light.

He sat up irritably, he could see the boy better now he was right side up and for some reason he felt even more annoyed that his would-be rescuer was very handsome. He had a tanned face with almost impossibly large, almond-shaped eyes and a straight nose. His baby-faced looks were at stark odds with his height and voice, but somehow that made him look more trustworthy.

Baekhyun lost his initial wariness and let the full force of his annoyance show. “Why the hell would I be ok?” he asked angrily, rubbing his bruised arms. “You made me ride in the trunk!”

“It's darker in there,” said the boy, clearly nonplussed, “You’re a vampire, aren't you?”

“What?!” burst out Baekhyun in surprise.

The boy blinked and continued speaking like what he was saying was completely reasonable, “You were being burnt in the sun.”

“No, I had flammable liquid on me, and my sleeve caught fire from my lighter,” explained Baekhyun, he held the tattered remains of his jacket sleeve to show him.

The boy reacted almost violently, his eyes went wide, and he yelled, “Oh my god, get out of my car!”

“I’m not on fire now and you were fine with me being in the car when you thought I was a vampire!”

“Vampires don't explode! Get away from the fuel tank,” yelled the boy, grabbing his arms and hauling him bodily out of the trunk.

“I'm not going to explode!” yelled Baekhyun, shaking him off as soon as his feet touched the ground.

“People always say that before they explode!” he exclaimed. He grabbed Baekhyun’s arms again and dragged him even further away from the car.

“Why do you know so many people who've exploded?!” asked Baekhyun angrily. The boy released him and Baekhyun became suddenly aware of his surroundings. From what he could tell through the dim lighting, they appeared to be some kind of large warehouse. An odd assortment of wires, pipes, mechanical equipment and boxes were piled around the large space haphazardly.

“Oh god,” groaned Baekhyun, “You’re one of those creeps who make bombs in his basement, aren't you?”

“No,” denied the boy immediately. “Well, kind of. But it's more of a tower than a basement,” he said shrugging and he pointed at the ceiling as if this clarified things.

Baekhyun looked up at the grimy ceiling, he should have expected this anyway, if he wasn’t a zombie it was pretty much a given that he had to be a rebel. When he looked back, he realised the boy was watching him closely.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked suddenly.

He considered telling him a fake name, but his traitorous mouth had already said, “Byun Baekhyun,” before he could think of a fake one.

“I’m Park Chanyeol,” replied the boy, he tapped himself on the chest making an odd metallic sort of thud.

Baekhyun suspected he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

“What were you doing out there alone?” Chanyeol asked suspiciously.

Baekhyun looked at him while considering how much he wanted to tell him.

“I’m not from a rebel group, if that’s what you think!”

“You don’t find it kind of suspicious that you immediately assumed that’s what I meant?” scoffed Chanyeol.

“I..” began Baekhyun, then broke off annoyed. “Look I swear, I’m not from any rebel group. I’m not even from here. I’ve been living in a sort of farming commune back in my hometown for the last year.”

“Farming?” repeated Chanyeol quickly, a small lopsided grin crossed his face and he sounded excited though Baekhyun couldn’t think why. After a second, he appeared to come out of his little daydream and he asked suddenly, “How did you get here then?”

Baekhyun hesitated. “The commune had problems,” he admitted. “Lots of infighting, a small group of us left. We thought we’d look for a similar group to join up with or find some land, something we could easily defend.”

Looking back, Baekhyun saw how silly that plan was, how naïve everyone in the commune had been and how little they knew of the true state of the world now.

“Where’s the rest of your group?” asked Chanyeol, and Baekhyun was surprised how gentle his deep voice sounded.

“We were travelling in a van and we stopped for the night. I went to look for some wood so we could start a fire. I wasn’t gone long but when I came back,” he paused, just thinking about it had made his stomach drop exactly as it had when he’d heard the unfamiliar voices by the van and then the screams. He swallowed and said shortly, “A group of rebels got them. I don’t know what happened, they didn’t see me, so I ran away. I started walking and early this morning I reached the city.”

“Wait, you've been walking around out there all day?!” exclaimed Chanyeol. “God damn, you’re one lucky son of a bitch!”

Baekhyun looked at his bruised arms visible through his torn and burnt jacket.

“Not that lucky,” said ruefully.

“Yeah, you are,” Chanyeol stated with finality, “There are some real lunatics out there.”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. “Like ones who believe in vampires?”

“Hey, vampires are not that farfetched. Don’t forget, I just saved you from becoming a zombie snack.”

“You put me in the trunk! You didn't save me…you abducted me!” shot back Baekhyun.

“You don't let vampires ride in the front, the light coming through the windshield would burn them.” He looked so earnest when he said this that Baekhyun resisted the urge to laugh.

“Your concern for vampire-me is very touching, but human-me is in a lot of pain right now,” he said, rubbing his arm where the skin was still warm and tender.

“Alright, well you can come upstairs, but I'm going to check you for weapons first,” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun just stared at him.

“Spread your arms and legs,” prompted Chanyeol, stepping towards him.

“Fuck off,” breathed Baekhyun, doing the exact opposite of Chanyeol’s order and crossing his arms defensively.

“Alright, but then you're going back in the trunk and I’ll drop you off somewhere on the edge of the city.”

“Why the trunk?!”

“I don’t want you to see where I live,” said Chanyeol simply. “And you have to take off that jacket too,” he added quickly, still eyeing the burnt coat as if it might explode.

Baekhyun sighed heavily and weighed up his options. If he went back out there, he’d probably be dead, or worse undead, by nightfall. It was pretty obvious from his day wandering that the city wasn’t what he had hoped it would be and he wasn’t going to find another peaceful group to join up with.

He looked away defiantly but raised his arms up from his sides and widened his stance.

“I’m telling you I don't have any weapons on me,” he said bitterly.

Chanyeol stepped forward and patted him down, running his hands down Baekhyun’s arms first, then chest, he took the lighter out of his coat pocket and slipped it into his own. Baekhyun made a pfft noise out of annoyance.

He looked up at the ceiling as Chanyeol stooped to pat down his hips and legs.

Chanyeol straightened up.

“There, I told you I wasn’t hiding anything,” said Baekhyun resentfully.

“Apart from that cute butt, you mean?” said Chanyeol, he tilted his head and smiled at Baekhyun’s shocked expression. “If it would make you feel any better, I could let you pat me down too?” he added.

“How exactly would that make me feel better?” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“I don’t know, but I'd definitely enjoy it,” laughed Chanyeol.

“You can put me back in the trunk now,” replied Baekhyun coldly.

“Oh, don’t be like that! C’mon, I’ll show you upstairs, I’ve got food, spare clothes, everything you need. I’ve even got pain killers,” Chanyeol said coaxingly.

Baekhyun considered this. The promise of food would have been enough to get him to agree but the pain killers were admittedly a bonus. He was guessing a bomb maker would have some pretty good burn cream too.

“Alright,” he agreed.

Chanyeol’s whole face seemed to light up as he smiled broadly. He was even better looking than Baekhyun had first thought now he could see him up close and in better light.

Baekhyun realised he was staring and looked away quickly.

“Follow me,” said Chanyeol.


	2. Chapter 2

Chanyeol led Baekhyun over to what looked like a very battered cargo elevator. They got inside and Chanyeol pulled a metal grate across to close it. It was even darker in the elevator than in the warehouse. Nervously, in the half-light, he watched as Chanyeol pulled a large lever set into a control panel. The elevator gave an unnerving wobble. Baekhyun quickly scrambled against the wall feeling around for something to hold onto as the elevator started its rickety ascent.

“How are you powering all this?” he asked in surprise, remembering the sound he heard when they had pulled into the garage, which he was sure now had been an automatic door. 

“Solar power,” said Chanyeol simply. “I've put panels on the roof, works quite well.”

Baekhyun was impressed despite himself; this guy was clearly an utter nutbag but he was surviving. Baekhyun was very sure he would have no idea how to install solar panels, he wouldn’t even know where to begin.

The elevator shuddered to a sudden halt and Chanyeol pulled the grate back across. Baekhyun blinked as bright sunlight flooded the dingy elevator. He hadn’t even realised his eyes had become so accustomed to the gloom.

He followed Chanyeol out into a large but very cluttered room. The light was streaming in from several wide curtainless windows.

Before he could take a step further Chanyeol stopped him. “Here put these on,” he said pressing something plasticky into Baekhyun’s hands.

Baekhyun separated out 2 clear plastic shower caps and stared at them perplexedly.

“I thought crazy person hats were made of tinfoil,” he said.

“They’re not for your head,” Chanyeol began.

“Good because I only have one, you know.”

“They’re for your feet. Put them over your shoes,” Chanyeol continued, ignoring his interruption completely.

Baekhyun hesitated. He really didn’t want to shuffle around with shower caps on his feet.

“Can’t I just take my shoes off?”

“Nah, there’s all sorts of stuff on the floor in here. It’s dangerous barefoot.”

“Well then why do I need to wear these?” asked Baekhyun, holding up the shower caps.

“Because I don’t know what’s on your shoes!”

“Oh, heaven forbid the outside dirt touches your precious inside dirt?!”

“Exactly,” said Chanyeol, nodding encouragingly.

“Why don’t you have to wear them?”

Chanyeol looked offended and replied immediately, “I know exactly where _I’ve_ been. You’ve been traipsing around the city and fighting with zombies.” He walked off across the room.

Baekhyun couldn’t argue with that, he put on the shower caps with bad grace and stomped after Chanyeol, scattering small cuttings of wire and metal fragments across the bare floorboards as he went.

“Don’t touch anything and don’t sit on anything in those clothes,” said Chanyeol.

“There’s nothing here I want to sit on,” snapped back Baekhyun.

The room consisted of multiple benches and tables, the only chairs were high stools and even these were piled with junk. One bench was laden with bottles of chemicals. Open boxes on every surface exposed a multitude of wire coils, odd ends of pipes and an assortment of tools. This time Baekhyun was very sure this was bomb-making equipment, there was even a device that looked disturbingly finished, with a little screen on it and everything, laying casually on the edge of a table. 

“You’re lucky you've still got all your fingers,” observed Baekhyun. 

“Oh, I know,” agreed Chanyeol. “I mean, 2 of them are in the freezer, but I'm lucky I even found them again.”

“What?!” said Baekhyun, looking up in alarm. 

“I'm joking,” said Chanyeol with a smirk. He held up his hands to show all his fingers were firmly attached. “I happen to be very talented with my hands.” He gave Baekhyun a suggestive look. 

“Well I bet you’ve had a lot of practice...here...all alone,” Baekhyun said wryly.

Chanyeol looked uncertain for a second then laughed exuberantly. “Oh, I get it! That was a wanking joke, right?”

“Yeah,” said Baekhyun flatly, he’d intended it to embarrass Chanyeol, but it hadn’t worked.

“Well you’re not wrong,” said Chanyeol unabashed and clearly very amused. “And you’re very cute when you make dirty jokes,” he added.

Baekhyun could feel his cheeks getting hot. It had been a long time since he’d been around an attractive guy his own age and he was annoyed at how flustered he felt when Chanyeol complimented him. 

“Now let’s get you out of those clothes,” said Chanyeol.

“Excuse me?!”

“I thought you’d want to shower,” replied Chanyeol, giving Baekhyun a quick up and down look which took in his grubby and dishevelled appearance.

“Oh, yeah,” said Baekhyun vaguely. “Not with you though!” he added firmly.

“I already had a shower this morning,” said Chanyeol blankly.

Baekhyun opened his mouth to explain what he’d meant but then a thought occurred to him. “Wait…you actually have running water here?!” he exclaimed, hoping to hell that Chanyeol wasn’t messing with him.

“Sort of, I built a rainwater tank on the roof. This was the office for the warehouse downstairs so there isn’t a proper bathroom, just a toilet, but I made a shower and a drainage system so that the greywater from the shower pipes in to flush to the toilet,” explained Chanyeol. He said it all very matter-of-factly.

Baekhyun controlled his facial expression carefully to not let on that he found this remotely interesting or impressive.

“How did you know about this place?” he asked offhandedly, looking around.

“A friend from school’s dad used to own it. We used to play here as kids sometimes. I couldn’t think of anywhere to go. So, I came here…after all this started, I mean,” he trailed off somewhat vaguely.

“Have you got any family left?”

“Not that I know of,” replied Chanyeol quietly.

Baekhyun was in the same situation. Shortly after the outbreak had shut everything down his brother had gone out to try and find food and other supplies they needed. He had never returned. Baekhyun had no idea what had happened to him, but he doubted he was still alive. His mother and father had been bitten when the infection finally reached their town. He had barely escaped, just thinking about that day gave him a cold, hard lump in his throat.

Chanyeol was very determinedly not looking at him and Baekhyun regretted bringing it up. Baekhyun knew better than anyone that no one liked talking about this stuff.

“I’ll get you a towel,” said Chanyeol suddenly and he ran off down a corridor and into another room.

When he returned he walked straight across the room and opened a door with a flight of stairs on the other side.

“C’mon it’s up here.”

Baekhyun followed him up a flight of concrete stairs. At the top, Chanyeol pushed open a door and Baekhyun was hit by a slightly chilly breeze. He stepped out onto an expansive rooftop. It had high concrete sides and a variety of structures including a large metal water tank. The roof of a low and long shed-like structure behind it was completely covered in solar panels. The weather was still fairly mild, but the wind was much gustier out on the roof than it had been on the ground. It hit the tender, warm spots on Baekhyun’s exposed lower arms with a refreshing coolness.

“It’s over here,” said Chanyeol, walking in the direction of the water tank and pointing.

In the sunlight, Baekhyun could see Chanyeol’s hair was blonde with faded bluish-purple haphazardly mixed in. It looked like a hairdressing fail, but I also suited him.

Baekhyun followed him and looked at what he was pointing at. It was makeshift and very basic, but recognisably a shower. It consisted of a large tub with a drain and then a shower head set into a pipe in front of the water tank.

“Have you lost your mind? There are no sides! There isn’t even a shower curtain,” exclaimed Baekhyun. “I’m not showering out in the open.”

“What are you worried about? Zombies with binoculars?” asked Chanyeol with a laugh.

Baekhyun looked around him, the roof had high sides, but he could still see over it. They appeared to be in the middle of some sort of industrial area. The surrounding buildings were all low warehouses, their building was definitely the tallest one around. The highest buildings in sight were far off and derelict looking. The landscape sent a chill down his spine that had nothing to do with the breeze.

He still didn’t like the idea of the shower being so exposed.

“Planes?” he suggested vaguely, though he hadn’t actually seen a plane in months.

Chanyeol scoffed then added, “If you see a plane, hide behind the water tower, don’t be seen and don’t shoot at it.”

“Who exactly do you think I am? My first reaction when I see something isn’t to immediately shoot at it!”

“Yeah, well we’ll talk about your concerning lack of survival skills later,” Chanyeol replied. “Here’s a towel, that one’s the hot water tap,” he said, dumping the towel in Baekhyun’s arms and pointing at the left side tap.

Baekhyun whipped around to look at the tap. “There’s hot water?!” he gasped out.

“Yeah,” replied Chanyeol offhandedly. “I power the boiler with the solar panels. It wouldn’t be much fun having a shower out here in winter if I didn’t have hot water.”

“Tell me about it,” muttered Baekhyun. He hadn’t used hot water in around 2 years. At the commune in Busan, they had also used rainwater but only for baths and it was always cold. In winter it had been easier to just avoid bathing than face getting hypothermia from the frigid water. He was actually looking forward to having this shower now.

“Ok…now go away,” ordered Baekhyun.

Chanyeol laughed but went over to the staircase door and disappeared. Baekhyun looked around for something to set his towel on. There was a wooden folding chair next to the staircase door like it was sometimes used to prop it open. He went over and hung the towel over the back then somewhat self-consciously stripped off his clothes and put them on the chair’s seat. He pushed his shower cap clad shoes underneath it, then ran back over to the shower. He turned on the hot water tap and put his hand out to feel the water that came out in a surprisingly strong flow. It took a minute, but it was definitely warm. Baekhyun stepped into the tub and let the water run over his head, leaning his head back so it covered his face like a warm blanket. It was even better than he had imagined. After a few minutes, it got hot enough that he had to turn on the cold water tap too. He finally pulled his head back from the steady stream of water and opened his eyes to look at the toiletries arranged neatly beside the tub. He heard a noise, the scrape of a shoe on concrete and he looked up to see Chanyeol standing near the staircase doorway. 

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun yelled in surprise, snatching up a washcloth that was draped over the edge of the tub and attempting to cover himself with it. 

“I’m not looking,” said Chanyeol, the denial came so quickly that Baekhyun didn’t believe him, even though Chanyeol now had both his hands pressed firmly over his eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” gasped Baekhyun, rearranging his washcloth nervously.

“I just wanted to tell you that that bottle there is shampoo,” said Chanyeol, he took one hand off his face to point.

“How can you see the bottle if your eyes are shut?!”

“They’re not shut, I’ve just got them covered,” explained Chanyeol.

“Shut them!” ordered Baekhyun.

“Ok,” said Chanyeol meekly. “It’s the big white bottle.”

“Yeah, I know. It has shampoo written on it!”

“I made it myself!”

“That’s great! Now fuck off.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need anything,” said Chanyeol innocently, turning to go back down the stairs.

Baekhyun watched him warily making sure he had gone before having the world’s quickest shower. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being watched.

After he’d finished, he turned off the taps and ran over to the chair. The breeze didn’t feel so pleasant now he was wet. He grabbed the towel briskly rubbing his hair and body for a minute. Then something caught his eye. He looked down at the chair in disbelief. His clothes weren’t there anymore. Truthfully, he hadn’t been particularly looking forward to putting his dirty and torn clothes back on, but they were vastly preferable to no clothes at all.

“Chanyeol!” he yelled.

There was no reply. He wrapped the towel around his waist, slid his shoes on and stomped over to the staircase door. “Chanyeol!” he yelled again into the staircase.

“I’m downstairs,” Chanyeol’s voice called back faintly from the floor below.

“Get up here!”

“I can’t hear you!”

Baekhyun was about to storm down the staircase when he noticed a pile of clothes sitting on the top step. They weren’t his clothes, for a start they were clean and new looking. Still angry, he pulled on the black track pants and grey long-sleeved sweatshirt. They were more comfortable and softer than anything he had worn in a long time. He rubbed his arms lightly in the fleecy casing of the sweatshirt. Absurdly he felt a sudden urge to cry. He hadn’t cried in a very long time; he had felt like a hard and dried out husk since his parents had died. Now he almost laughed at the urge, after all he had been through and he now was going to cry in a cold, dark staircase over comfy clothes?

He pulled himself together, threw the damp towel over his shoulder and went downstairs.

Chanyeol was in a smaller room that opened off the main space and which looked like it had once been an office break room. Baekhyun was too annoyed to take in much else beyond a clutter of cooking equipment on the counter which indicated Chanyeol was using the room as a kitchen. 

“Where are my clothes?!” he asked loudly, so Chanyeol couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear him.

Chanyeol looked up a slightly guilty expression on his face. Slowly he pointed behind Baekhyun. Baekhyun turned, behind him one of the large windows was open. He ran over, stuck his head through and looked down. Far below was some sort of junk heap. He couldn’t even see his clothes amongst all the debris.

“You threw them out the window?! Those were my lucky pants,” he yelled, rounding on Chanyeol who shrank back even though he was across the room.

Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol assumed an air of infuriatingly false jauntiness.

“You don’t need those pants to get lucky. You could get lucky in any pants. Or no pants for that matter, no pants would make you _very_ popular,” said Chanyeol with a playful laugh. 

Baekhyun stared at him coldly. “No, I meant they’re good luck. I’ve never died while wearing them,” he said through his teeth. 

“As opposed to all the times you’ve died while wearing other pants?” laughed Chanyeol, then he paused and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Baekhyun could tell what he was thinking.

“I’m not a vampire!” Baekhyun said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He couldn’t believe how many times he had already had to deny this. “Or a zombie! And I’m really upset about this, Chanyeol,” he continued.

To his further annoyance, Chanyeol went back to what he was doing and started pulling items out of a cupboard.

“Are you even listening to me?! In what world is it ok to throw….is that tuna?! Are you holding tuna?!”

He ran over to a small dining table by the wall where Chanyeol had just set down a couple of cans of tuna.

“Yeah,” said Chanyeol. “Look I’m really sorry about the pants, ok? It’s just those clothes were ruined, and god knows what was on them. You did come awfully close to some zombies today and you really can’t be too ca--”

Baekhyun hushed him with an insistent hand movement before he could continue. “I don’t even care anymore. Fuck the pants. Just let me have this,” he said snatching up one of the cans. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had tuna. He took the can, clutching it delightedly with both hands and ran back out into the main room.

“Do you want a spoon?” called Chanyeol.

Baekhyun didn’t reply, he was trying to open the pull ring of the can with shaking fingers.

“Do you want rice?”

Baekhyun paused and looked up. He did want rice, he definitely wanted rice.

He ran back into the kitchen.

Chanyeol had popped open an electric rice cooker on a bench near the door and was scooping steaming hot rice into bowls. He handed one to Baekhyun and reached for the tuna can.

“No,” hissed Baekhyun, pulling the can away from him.

“I was just going to open it,” exclaimed Chanyeol. “God, you’re like a rabid squirrel or something. Look,” he added opening the door of the large cupboard below the counter. He pointed at row after row of tuna cans all piled up on top of each other. “And there’s more downstairs, so calm down.”

Baekhyun took a deep breath gazing at all the tuna. He thought his heart might actually have skipped a beat. 

Chanyeol took the can gently from Baekhyun who didn’t resist this time and opened it carefully. He handed it back and Baekhyun took it and the bowl of rice over to the table. Chanyeol dropped a spoon next to him and sat down opposite.

Baekhyun dove in, eating large spoonfuls of tuna and rice and humming happily to himself. Tuna was even more delicious than he remembered. 

When he’d scraped his bowl clean a few minutes later, he sighed contentedly then asked, “Can I have another can?”

“No,” said Chanyeol, chewing leisurely.

“But you’ve got hundreds of them.”

“I know, but you haven’t eaten this stuff for a while, and I think you’ll make yourself sick if you eat too much. Just sit there and digest while I finish and then if you’re still hungry you can have more.”

Baekhyun huffed and watched Chanyeol unhurriedly raising his spoon to his mouth. He noticed for the first time that Chanyeol had changed clothes too. He was wearing sweatpants and a large black hoodie. Chanyeol chewed the mouthful carefully, seeming unbothered by Baekhyun’s staring.

“You eat so slowly,” Baekhyun observed bitterly.

“I eat normally. I can’t help it if you’re more garbage disposal than human.”

“Stop talking and eat!” Baekhyun exclaimed, then watched Chanyeol resume his careful chewing with increasing frustration. He was annoyed that Chanyeol was probably right about him eating too fast. The longer he sat there the fuller he felt.

“Where did you get all that tuna from anyway?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, I’m allowed to talk now?”

“No…I retract my question.”

“I can mime and eat at the same time,” said Chanyeol, and taking a large spoonful of rice in his mouth he began making a series of complicated hand movements while Baekhyun watched with increasing confusion.

“You stole a…crocodile?... and rode it?…. in a race?…. and got the tuna as a prize?” asked Baekhyun haltingly, screwing up his nose.

“No, it was a plane,” said Chanyeol starting the mime again. He held up his hands pressed together with the thumbs and pinky fingers splayed out. “How is this a crocodile?!”

“How is this the truth?!” exploded Baekhyun.

“It’s not,” said Chanyeol, with a laugh, “I’m messing with you. I broke into all the warehouses around here to see if there was anything useful inside and I found a whole shipping container of canned food. The plane race is a better story though, right?”

“No!” 

“Well it’s hard to mime a shipping container,” said Chanyeol defensively.

“No, it isn’t,” retorted Baekhyun. He held up his hands and mimed a rectangular shape.

Chanyeol blinked at him. “What’s that supposed to be?”

“A shipping container!” yelled Baekhyun.

“You’re not very good at this game,” said Chanyeol, returning to his bowl and eating another small mouthful of tuna while Baekhyun fumed.

Baekhyun looked around the small kitchen area. There were boxes of rice piled up in the corner and another box of canned goods too.

“So, all you eat is canned stuff and rice?” he asked after a minute, unable to contain his curiosity.

“At the moment, yeah. I used to be able to get more fresh stuff but that’s all run out now. I’m guessing by your little tuna freak out that you didn’t eat a lot of canned food at the commune?

“Nah, the distribution lines to Busan got cut off fairly early so we ran out of all that stuff within a couple of months. We grew our own vegetables mostly.”

“What did you grow?” asked Chanyeol interestedly.

“Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, beans and lentils mostly. Stuff like that,” replied Baekhyun.

“I’ve got seeds for some of those. I tried to grow them on the roof. I even built an irrigation system, but they just kept dying,” said Chanyeol, this was apparently quite a source of disappointment for him, he looked annoyed just talking about it.

“Oh, maybe I can take a look…sometime?” said Baekhyun cagily, he was more interested than he wanted to let on. “I did a lot of work in a garden at the commune. I’m really good at that sort of stuff. I kept animals too.”

“What kind of animals?”

“Chickens and goats mostly. You could have a chicken coop on the roof easily, there’s definitely enough room. But it’s probably hard to get chickens here.”

“Yeah, I don’t see a lot of chickens around,” said Chanyeol, “but I’d like it if you could take a look at the roof garden,” he said with a smile, “…sometime.”

“Ok,” said Baekhyun, shrugging noncommittally.

“Not now though, it’s gotten dark,” added Chanyeol, looking across the room at the windows. 

Baekhyun hadn’t even noticed the gloom, which was settling gradually on the room, the corners were already dark and hard to distinguish. It had gotten cooler too.

“How are your arms?” Chanyeol asked suddenly.

Baekhyun pulled up his sleeves and felt the skin. It looked alright, perhaps a little bit redder than usual and it still felt unusually warm to touch. He didn’t think he’d been burned much after all though, there was no peeling or blistering and they didn’t hurt anymore. He had a few large bruises coming up though, courtesy of his time rolling around in the car’s trunk. He could see their deep blue tint blooming under his tanned skin.

“I think they’re ok,” he said.

“Do you want some burn cream, just in case?”

“Yeah, it can’t hurt I guess.”

Chanyeol jumped up and went out into the main room. He came back a minute later with a white tube.

“Roll your sleeves up further.”

Baekhyun tugged the sleeves of the sweatshirt up past his elbows. To his surprise, Chanyeol squeezed some of the gel-like cream out onto his hands

“I can do it myself,” Baekhyun said quickly, watching him.

“But I’m already doing it,” said Chanyeol softly.

He ran his hands lightly over Baekhyun’s forearms. Chanyeol was very gentle, but the coolness of the gel on his skin, combined with the roughness of Chanyeol’s fingertips made Baekhyun shudder involuntarily. He fidgeted in his seat to try to cover it up.

“Does it hurt?” asked Chanyeol, looking concerned.

“No, it’s just a bit cold,” lied Baekhyun. He looked away. His face felt uncomfortably warm.

He remembered with a pang of nostalgia what a flirt he had been in high school. He’d been so confident, playful and carefree, but the last 2 years had taken that from him. He wondered if anyone could have come out the other side unchanged. He didn’t think so. He suspected Chanyeol had always been odd but being alone with his bombs and inventions had no doubt amplified his eccentricities too. What sort of person would he have been in a perfect world? Would they have ever met? Well, he’d never know now.

His hair was still a slightly wet, droplet of water shivered down his temple and he pulled his left hand away from Chanyeol to brush it aside.

“You're really pretty when you're wet,” said Chanyeol suddenly, flashing him a cheeky grin.

Baekhyun glared at him and Chanyeol’s grin slipped slightly but not completely.

“I'm not a girl, I’m not pretty,” said Baekhyun deprecatingly.

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “Did I ever say I liked girls?” he asked. 

“No, because I definitely didn’t ask,” retorted Baekhyun.

Chanyeol ignored him and went on, “Besides, I know you're not a girl, I patted you down remember...and I saw you in the shower.”

“You said you didn’t look!” Baekhyun exclaimed, pulling both arms away from Chanyeol now.

“Of course, I looked!”

“Chanyeol!”

“I’m joking.”

“I don’t believe you,” Baekhyun shot back. “Give me that,” he added snatching the cream out of Chanyeol’s hand. “How would you like it if I watched you in the shower?”

“I told you I already had a shower today,” said Chanyeol blankly.

Baekhyun sighed exasperatedly.

Chanyeol gave him a sweetly coy smile. “Do you want more tuna?”

“No, I don’t want anything from you, you giant pervert,” Baekhyun exclaimed. He dropped the tube on the table and pulled his sleeves down roughly.

“Ok,” said Chanyeol, lightly. He got up and wandered over to one of the cupboards that he hadn’t opened for Baekhyun earlier.

Baekhyun heard him rustling around, he tried to peer around him without being seen.

Chanyeol straightened up holding something in his hands and headed out into the main room.

“What have you got?” asked Baekhyun.

“Nothing you’d want from a giant pervert like me,” Chanyeol called back to him.

“Show me!” Baekhyun demanded, getting up and following him.

“No.”

“You don’t have anything,” said Baekhyun furrowing his brow sceptically.

“Don’t I?” asked Chanyeol, he made the rustling sound of a plastic packet being squeezed.

Baekhyun gasped. “That’s cookies! You’ve got cookies.”

Chanyeol looked shocked. “How could you tell just from that?”

“I know what cookies sound like.”

Chanyeol turned around and held up the packet of cookies for Baekhyun to see.

“Give me them!” demanded Baekhyun, he reached out but Chanyeol pulled the packet back before he could grab it.

“What will you do for me?” Chanyeol asked teasingly.

“Well...” said Baekhyun slowly, “If you give me the cookies…I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

Chanyeol frowned then to Baekhyun’s surprise gave him an enamoured smile.

“That was actually kind of hot,” Chanyeol said, biting his lip slightly.

“It’s not meant to be hot; I’m threatening your life!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“For cookies?”

“Yes,” said Baekhyun, deflating a little. He turned towards the kitchen then turned back suddenly and grabbed the cookie packet from Chanyeol’s hands. “My cookies!” he exclaimed triumphantly, running across the room and wrenching open the door to the staircase. He scrambled up the stairs with Chanyeol behind him laughing and taking the stairs two at a time. He pulled open the door at the top and burst onto the roof, running blindly in the dark. He had a split second to consider where to run next when suddenly the darkness around him erupted in light and sound. He froze. The wind buffeted around him as he stood, rooted to the spot with shock.

He felt himself being tugged to the side and realised Chanyeol had him by the back of his sweatshirt and was dragging him over to the water tank. He could make out what was happening now, to the left of the building, a huge black helicopter was slowly flying overhead.

“Get down,” Chanyeol hissed, pulling him down beside him. Baekhyun could barely hear him over the noise from the helicopter’s spinning blades.

They crouched behind the water tank, pressing themselves into the shadows there and not daring to move. 

Soon the sound of the helicopter faded and was replaced by the loud pounding of Baekhyun’s heart and his raspy uneven breathing.

“It’s ok,” said Chanyeol gently. “It’s gone.”

“Do you think it saw us?” asked Baekhyun a little breathlessly.

“No, it’s too dark up here. Besides, it wouldn’t have flown off like that if it had,” replied Chanyeol reassuringly.

Baekhyun let out a long low sigh of relief.

Chanyeol stood up gazing in the direction the helicopter had gone.

“Just my luck a bloody helicopter goes over and all my siege weapons are downstairs,” he said ruefully. “I think tomorrow I’ll move one to the roof, just in case.”

“Hey, you said If I saw a plane I wasn’t to shoot at it.”

“I said _you_ weren’t to shoot at it. _I_ wouldn’t miss!” explained Chanyeol.

“I don’t think that’s anything to brag about! It was a huge freaking helicopter right overhead anyone could have hit it!” retorted Baekhyun, standing up to face him. Arguing with Chanyeol was making him feel calmer somehow.

“It’s a moving target it doesn’t matter how big it is!” replied Chanyeol.

He walked over to the door. Baekhyun followed then something caught his eye.

He gasped.

Chanyeol looked around quickly, scanning the sky. “What? Is it back?!”

“No,” moaned Baekhyun. “I dropped my cookies and _you_ must have stepped on them!”

“ _Your_ cookies?” scoffed Chanyeol. “You rewrote that narrative very swiftly.”

“Look, they’re all crushed,” whined Baekhyun holding up the mangled packet. He walked off down the stairs with Chanyeol trailing behind him.

“It’s nice to see you’re maintaining perspective. I mean, it’s not like you almost got killed multiple times today,” said Chanyeol.

“Hey, I almost get killed _every day_ , but do you know when the last time I had cookies was?!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“Well, I’m sure they’ll still taste fine. They’re just bite-sized now.”

Baekhyun had ended up in the kitchen, he looked at the packet of cookies. To his surprise, he didn’t even feel like eating anymore.

“I don’t think I’m hungry,” he observed tiredly.

He felt limp and exhausted all of a sudden like all the adrenaline from seeing the helicopter had left him in one great burst. It had been a very long day, a very long two days in fact because he hadn’t slept in 48 hours.

Chanyeol must have noticed the change in his demeanour because he said suddenly, “You should go to bed.”

Chanyeol took the cookie packet from Baekhyun’s unresisting hands and sat it on the counter. Then walked off down the corridor to a room at the end and Baekhyun followed dazedly.

Chanyeol flicked on the light switch and walked in. It was a plain room, with bare floorboards, no curtains and one large double bed. 

“You’ve only got one bed?” asked Baekhyun.

“I know this may surprise you, but I am in fact only one person,” said Chanyeol in an amused tone. He kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed.

“I’m not sharing a bed with you. I’m a guest, you should sleep on the floor,” said Baekhyun adamantly.

Chanyeol lay back against the pillows and put his hands behind his head. “According to you, you’re an abductee and I’m sure they usually sleep on the floor.”

“Fine,” said Baekhyun, grabbing a pillow off the bed.

He was about to sit down on the floor when Chanyeol said, “Be careful, I broke a glass in here the other day, and I didn’t clean it up very well.”

Baekhyun looked down at the floorboards when he moved his foot; it did make a slight crunching sound.

“Well fuck you, I’m going to sleep on the couch,” said Baekhyun, striding out of the room. He felt wide awake now and very annoyed.

“Let me know how that works out for you,” Chanyeol called after him.

Baekhyun went into the main room and looked around. There was no couch there, just tables and benches. He checked the other rooms off the corridor and found a small toilet and three rooms which were piled with more stuff. He shut the door of the last room with a bang and stood leaning against it breathing deeply out of his nostrils. He marched back into the bedroom.

Chanyeol was still lounging on the bed and when Baekhyun walked in he looked up, smiling. “Did you sleep well?”

Baekhyun put his hands on his hips and glared at Chanyeol. “There isn’t a couch, is there?”

“No. I’d have been impressed if you’d found one,” replied Chanyeol, with barely suppressed laughter.

“You are a…ratbag. An entire _bag of rats_ , Park Chanyeol,” said Baekhyun scathingly.

Chanyeol grinned and replied, “Maybe, but I’m a bag of rats that’s sleeping in a bed tonight.”

Baekhyun sighed, he ran a hand back through his hair in exasperation. 

“Move over,” he ordered.

Chanyeol shifted over to the right side of the bed a bit, still grinning happily.

“Further.”

Chanyeol wriggled a little further.

“Further.”

Chanyeol was right on the edge of the bed now.

“Further.”

“There is no further! Get in the bed,” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun turned off the light so at least he didn’t have to look at Chanyeol smiling like a maniac. He got pulled off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, keeping as far away from Chanyeol as possible. He curled up on his side and tried to go to sleep.

He wasn’t sure why he had kicked up such a fuss about sharing a bed with Chanyeol. He had slept on the same mattress with others most of the time at the commune due to the cramped living quarters. But somehow this felt different, maybe it was because none of the commune members had made him feel flustered when they looked at them.

He was just falling asleep when something warm brushed his hand. He opened his eyes in the dimness as one of Chanyeol’s hands slid over his. He pulled his hand back so sharply, he heard Chanyeol gasp. 

“What are you doing?!” he exclaimed, sitting up quickly. 

“I’m sorry,” said Chanyeol immediately, “I shouldn’t have. I know you don’t like me touching you.”

Baekhyun was so surprised by the almost pleading note in Chanyeol’s voice that he didn’t yell at him. He said gruffly instead, “Just don’t do it again.”

“Ok and look I'm sorry I frisked you earlier that was really uncalled for,” said Chanyeol, his voice was still quiet and apologetic.

“Well not really. I might have had any number of weapons on me,” said Baekhyun reasonably. 

“That's not really…why I did it,” admitted Chanyeol. He took an audible gulp. “I've been alone for a while.”

“Yeah, I can tell.”

“And sometimes I think I'm losing my mind,” Chanyeol breathed, “I just wanted to touch you properly and make sure you were really there.”

Baekhyun felt himself relenting. He had never been alone for a long period of time, but he knew what it was like to be touch-starved. Maybe he could hold this crazy boy’s hand for one night? 

“Look,” he said, then sighed. “Just give me your hand, alright?” 

He reached out in the darkness, Chanyeol was closer than he thought he was and his fingers brushed against something that was definitely not Chanyeol’s hand. 

“Oh my god. That’s not what I was reaching for,” exclaimed Baekhyun, he started pulling his hand away but Chanyeol grabbed it. 

“It’s ok,” said Chanyeol with a laugh. “I liked it. I told you I've been alone for a while.” 

“That's it, I take it back. Let go of my hand,” Baekhyun said, trying to pull his hand out of Chanyeol’s grip.

“No, Baekhyunnie please!”

“Don’t call me Baekhyunnie!” he said, but he stopped resisting and let Chanyeol lace his fingers firmly through his. 

He lay back down, their entangled hands between them. Chanyeol’s hand was calloused, Baekhyun could feel the rough pads of his fingertips pressing against his skin as Chanyeol gripped his fingers tightly, but it didn’t feel bad. It didn’t feel bad at all. 

“Thank you,” breathed Chanyeol.

“Just go to sleep,” said Baekhyun, closing his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did my apocalypse fic end up so domestic? Let’s start blowing stuff up soon!


	3. Chapter 3

When Baekhyun woke up the room was streaked with a pale gold light streaming in from the high windows. He glanced over at Chanyeol. He was still asleep; both of his large hands were holding onto Baekhyun’s now and he was smiling softly in his sleep. Baekhyun watched him for a minute, it was hard to believe that deep, rough voice came out of that angelic face. He looked so peaceful and innocent sleeping like that, his features slumber softened and his pale hair messy and swept back against the pillow. He really thought Chanyeol might be the most handsome guy he’d ever seen when he kept his big mouth shut like that. Suddenly he realised he’d been staring; he was very relieved that Chanyeol was asleep and couldn’t see him. With his cheeks growing hotter by the second, he gently pulled his hand out of Chanyeol’s grip. He climbed carefully off the bed, slipping his sneakers back on and padding out into the main room.

He wandered around curiously, picking up odds and ends and examining them. Some coils of rubber tubing made him remember the garden irrigation system Chanyeol had mentioned yesterday and he decided to go up on the roof for a look at it.

When he got up there, he looked around. He hadn’t seen anything resembling a garden yesterday. He passed the water tank and walked alongside the large shed. At the other end were a series of shallow garden beds built into large plastics tubs all joined together. Over the top was a grid of white pipes connected to a hose that led back into the shed. Baekhyun was bent down to examine the soil, which was bare except for the remains of a few very dead plants.

Suddenly he had the strangest feeling someone was calling his name. He lifted his head and listened. He heard it again distantly.

“Baekhyun!”

“Chanyeol?!” he yelled.

“Baekhyun!”

“I’m up here!”

30 seconds later Chanyeol appeared from around the side of the shed. When he saw Baekhyun, he bent over holding his stomach and gasping slightly. He looked like he’d been running.

“What’s wrong? I’m just looking at your garden,” asked Baekhyun in surprise.

Chanyeol didn’t say anything, he swept his hair back and just stared at Baekhyun.

His relief was so obvious that it confused Baekhyun because he couldn’t see any reason for it.

“I’m not breaking anything!” he assured Chanyeol.

“No, it’s not that...I just…” said Chanyeol haltingly. “Never mind.”

“Not that I could break anything,” continued Baekhyun, “It’s all very dead.” He nudged a withered stalk with the toe of his shower cap covered sneaker.

“Yeah, I told you I don’t have much luck with gardening.”

“I think I know what your problem is,” said Baekhyun, bending over the grid and pointing at the pipes. “These holes are too big and there’s too many of them. I think you’ve been overwatering.”

Chanyeol blinked. “But plants need water,” he said.

“So, do you, but too much and you’ll drown,” pointed out Baekhyun. “Also, the overhang of your shed is creating too much shade on this half and your beds are too shallow.”

“Ah,” said Chanyeol, somewhat morosely. “So, you’re saying I should start again?”

“This isn’t a good time of year to start again. I think we should move the whole thing to the other side of the roof and try again in spring,” said Baekhyun decidedly.

“Will…you help me?” asked Chanyeol, slowly.

“That’s why I said ‘we’,” replied Baekhyun, straightening up and shaking the dirt off the shower cap.

“In spring?”

“Yes. Are you going deaf? Possibly from listening to your own loud voice?” asked Baekhyun.

“No, it’s just that’s months away,” said Chanyeol vaguely.

“Well we can plant them now, but they’ll just die again,” said Baekhyun.

“No, no, it’s fine we’ll wait for spring,” Chanyeol replied with a smile. Suddenly he laughed gleefully.

Baekhyun stared at him. “Have you gone mad?...or madder, I mean?”

Chanyeol kept laughing. “No,” he gasped out, taking great gulps of air to calm down. “Let’s go back downstairs,” he managed at last.

“Why is that so funny?”

“It’s not,” said Chanyeol, “C’mon.” He turned and walked off towards the staircase. Baekhyun followed.

“We’ll have to find you something else to wear,” remarked Chanyeol when they were back in the main room. 

“Why can’t I just wear this?” asked Baekhyun, looking down at his comfortable baggy outfit.

“It’s not really suitable. I have something I want you to help me out with today,” replied Chanyeol rather cryptically. He walked off down the corridor that led to the bedroom.

“I’m not wearing a maid’s outfit if that’s what you’re thinking!”

Chanyeol laughed. “No, nothing like that,” he said, then gave Baekhyun a sly look out of the corner of his eye. “Would you consider a cat boy outfit?”

Baekhyun gave him the coldest stare he could muster. It had the desired effect.

“I’m joking!” exclaimed Chanyeol. He pushed open the door to one of the smaller rooms that Baekhyun had looked into last night. At the time he had only registered that the room was full of stuff, but now he realised it was full of clothes. They were heaped haphazardly all over the floor.

Chanyeol waded in.

“This is a mess!” declared Baekhyun, from the doorway.

“No, it’s not,” retorted Chanyeol, sounding offended. “I’ve got it all organised. See there’s work clothes and then home clothes,” he said pointing at 2 mounds of clothes, separated by a few centimetres of clear floorboards.

“Alright, then it’s 2 messes,” shot back Baekhyun. He knelt down to examine some of the clothes. “Why do you have so many clothes anyway?”

“When this all started, I went…,” Chanyeol began then paused, “ _shopping_ at a mall.” 

“Looting,” said Baekhyun, “the word you’re looking for is _looting_.”

“Anyway, I just grabbed as much as would fit in the car.”

“Half of these aren’t even your size,” observed Baekhyun, “or gender,” he added holding up a sports bra.

“Well there was sort of a group of us when we started this,” said Chanyeol. He knelt down and started looking through the pile too.

“What happened to the others?” asked Baekhyun, a little warily.

“We bit off a bit more than we could chew with our first mission,” said Chanyeol, sadly. “It didn’t end well and…then there were other accidents after that.”

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol and watched him turn a pair of pants the right way out. He felt a strange affinity with him at that moment. He strongly suspected he was the only survivor of his group too.

“Anyway, find some clothes that fully cover you,” said Chanyeol, throwing the pants over his shoulder. “You want as little exposed as possible. And tighter is better.”

“Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, I’d love a better look at that cute butt of yours,” laughed Chanyeol, “but really it’s so you don’t get your clothes caught on anything. I’ve seen people get taken down that way.”

“Oh,” said Baekhyun vaguely. “Wait...taken down?! What exactly are we doing today?”

“I’ll tell you when we go downstairs,” said Chanyeol, who was foraging around for clothes of his own. “Get dressed and meet me at the elevator,” he added, picking up his pile and walking out of the room.

Baekhyun continued looking through the clothes. He found a pair of combat style pants that he thought would fit. He slung them over this shoulder and hunted around in the pile for a top.

5 minutes later he was properly outfitted with the combat pants, a snug, black turtleneck sweater and a sturdy looking, khaki green zip-up jacket.

He met Chanyeol at the elevator. Chanyeol was similarly dressed except he had one the black boots he’d been wearing the day before.

They went down in the elevator and Baekhyun felt the temperature drop slightly as they walked out into the cool gloom of the warehouse.

Chanyeol strode off across the floor immediately.

“Where are we going?” asked Baekhyun, trailing along behind him and squinting into the darkness.

“Through here,” said Chanyeol, pointing to a barely discernible divide in the wall. “I’ve got something to show you.”

“Alright, but if you take off your pants I’m leaving,” said Baekhyun.

Chanyeol laughed but didn’t elaborate any further on his plans.

Baekhyun realised there was more to the warehouse than just the large open area that the elevator opened into. At the end furthest from the elevator where they were now approaching there was a series of large rooms divided from the main warehouse space with what looked like moveable walls.

Chanyeol led him into one of these rooms and switched on a light. The space inside was very much like the one workshop upstairs. Tables and benches covered piled with bits and pieces and boxes absolutely everywhere.

Chanyeol went over to one of the benches and picked up an object, he held it out for Baekhyun to see.

Baekhyun came closer and stared at it, unsure what to say. It was a tin can with what looked like a very old mobile phone taped to it.

“Ok,” said Baekhyun, slowly. He looked at Chanyeol then back to the can. “What is it?”

“A bomb!” exclaimed Chanyeol incredulously, like this was the most ridiculous thing Baekhyun could have said.

Baekhyun stared at it, his expression growing increasingly sceptical.

“You don’t look very impressed,” said Chanyeol. He sounded a little hurt.

“Well it’s just...,” Baekhyun began hesitantly then asked in one quick burst, “Are you really sure that’s a bomb?”

“Yes, I’m sure, I made it.”

“It’s just…it doesn’t…well, it just doesn’t look much like a bomb.”

“Oh, and what exactly do you think a bomb looks like?”

“Not like that,” exclaimed Baekhyun, pointing at it. “More like the one upstairs.”

“What one upstairs?”

“The one on the bench near the kitchen, with the little black screen,” said Baekhyun.

Chanyeol squinted, then exclaimed, “Baekhyun, that’s an alarm clock!”

“Is it?” asked Baekhyun in surprise. “Well, it looks more like a bomb than that thing does!”

“Look, you’ll just have to trust me that this is a bomb,” said Chanyeol. He still looked a bit hurt.

Baekhyun gave a hastily covered snort of laughter.

“What?!” cried Chanyeol.

“It’s just hard to take you seriously when you’re holding that thing,” Baekhyun said, covering his mouth with his hands and trying hard to keep the laughter out of his voice.

Chanyeol placed the bomb carefully back on the bench and sighed then suddenly brightened like he had an idea.

“Come through here,” he said, leading Baekhyun through another gap in the wall and into a similar-sized space next to the workshop.

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

Chanyeol had hit another switch and the sudden light illuminated an enormous boxy black Mercedes. It had a huge bull bar on the front and the kind of reinforcements Baekhyun would expect to see on a military vehicle.

“Do you like it?” asked Chanyeol, grinning. He seemed more pleased with Baekhyun’s reaction this time.

“No!” replied Baekhyun. “It looks like a tank crashed into a shed and just kept driving.”

Chanyeol gasped in horror then grabbed Baekhyun around the waist, pulling him in and attempting to cover his mouth with one large hand.

“I won't have you talking s-h-i-t,” he spelled out, “in front of the c-a-r!”

Baekhyun squirmed free, pushing Chanyeol hard and running around the other side of the car to escape him. “It can't hear me!” he yelled, indignantly.

The car emitted a sudden double beeping noise which echoed loudly around the high ceiled space.

Baekhyun froze. “Oh, fuck. I can't hear me, can it?”

“No,” scoffed Chanyeol, doubling over with laughter. “I did that with the remote to mess with you,” he added holding up a small remote on a keychain.

“You’re insane,” grumbled Baekhyun. Ignoring Chanyeol’s laughter, he walked further around the car.

The room also contained a large covered trailer which wasn’t hooked up to the car and a neat stack of boxes. He came back around to the front of the car.

“What's with the speakers?” he asked, pointing at the black cone shapes protruding from the front of the roof.

“Oh, I was trying something out last year,” explained Chanyeol. “I thought if I played a really high frequency it might affect the zombies.”

“Did it?”

“No, but a whole lot of bats came and shit all over my car,” replied Chanyeol ruefully.

Baekhyun laughed.

“It’s not funny! Do you know how hard it was to get bat shit out of those grills?!” he asked, pointing to the metalwork between the front headlights.

“Why are you showing me all this?” Baekhyun asked suspiciously. He had a feeling the clothes, the bomb and the car added up to something he wasn’t going to like one bit.

“I want you to help me blow up a radio tower,” said Chanyeol bluntly.

“Chanyeol that’s awful! Why would you want to blow up a radio tower? People need those to communicate!”

“You’ve been farming too long,” said Chanyeol with a laugh. “Maybe people do use them to communicate but then rebels use them to track those people down.”

“What?!”

“With the right equipment you can track where a radio signal is coming from,” explained Chanyeol.

“Oh god,” said Baekhyun. He felt like someone had poured cold water over his head, the chill ran right down his spine. “The van,” he whispered. “We radioed before we stopped for the night. Just to see if there were any other groups like ours around. No one answered. I-I didn’t know you could be found that way.”

“A lot of people don’t know. That’s why I’ve been blowing up the towers. This is the last big one left around here,” said Chanyeol gently, he laid a commiserating hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

Baekhyun left it there for a second before swatting it away. “What do you need my help for?” he asked

“It’s always good to have backup,” said Chanyeol simply.

“Backup against what?”

“There’s a big gang of rebels who use that tower. I don’t think they’ll be around, but they’d be stupid not to protect it in some way. They’ve got to have noticed I’m blowing up towers. So, it would be good to have backup, just in case.”

Baekhyun swallowed nervously. “Look, I don’t know how useful I’ll even be as backup. The only shooting I’ve done is in games. I’ve never even held a gun in real life,” he explained.

Chanyeol nonchalantly waved aside his concerns. “It’s fine. I expected as much. I’ll teach you to shoot before we go.”

“When are we going?”

“In about 10 minutes,” said Chanyeol, glancing at his watch.

“What?!”

“I’m joking. We can go any time before sundown.”

“Why not after sundown?” asked Baekhyun. In all the movies he’d seen missions usually took place under the cover of darkness.

“You don’t want to be in that area after dark. From what I’ve seen they’ve got a base around there somewhere,” said Chanyeol, casually.

“I’m sorry, they have a base right near the tower, and you think it’s a good idea for the two of us to try and bomb it in broad daylight?! Are you crazy?!” asked Baekhyun.

“It’ll be fine and they’re less likely to be around during the day. Besides, we’ll be in and out quick as a flash. We’ve just got to drop the bomb and go,” replied Chanyeol matter-of-factly.

Baekhyun was not fooled by his confident tone. He opened his mouth the raise more concerns but Chanyeol spoke over him.

“C’mon let’s get you a gun,” he said, grabbing Baekhyun’s arm and pulling him out into the main warehouse.

They walked past the yellow car he’d rode in the trunk of the day before.

“Why do you have so many cars anyway?” asked Baekhyun, irritably.

“Well a while ago I found myself in the underground car park of one of those big luxury apartment buildings in Hannam-Dong,” explained Chanyeol as they walked, “and they were just there…so I sort of liberated them.”

“Stole them,” muttered Baekhyun under his breath.

“I wanted another one that was there too, a gorgeous lotus, but when I went back for it someone else had nicked it,” continued Chanyeol, bitterly.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Oh, poor you, someone stole the car you were planning on stealing,” said Baekhyun unsympathetically.

“It was a red one too,” said Chanyeol, ignoring Baekhyun’s interruption.

“What were you going to do with 3 cars anyway?”

“Well, the yellow one is for scouting missions and looking for supplies. The Mercedes is for utilitarian stuff, bombing missions etc and the red lotus was going to be for leisure activities,” explained Chanyeol.

“Leisure activities?” snorted Baekhyun.

“Yeah, like going on dates.”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow at this. “Done much post-apocalyptic dating, have you?”

“No,” said Chanyeol. “But you know, it could happen.” He gave Baekhyun a coy sideways look.

“I do know, and it won’t happen,” said Baekhyun firmly. “And stop looking at me like that!” He strode ahead even though he didn’t know where he was going but was annoyed to find Chanyeol barely had to speed up to keep pace with him.

“Why not just use the Mercedes for everything?” Baekhyun asked after a minute.

“The other one’s less noticeable.”

“Less noticeable?! It’s a vintage muscle car!”

“You don’t understand cars,” scoffed Chanyeol.

“I understand _colours_! And it’s bright yellow! How is that not noticeable?!”

“Haven’t you ever heard of hiding in plain sight?” asked Chanyeol.

“You realise that would only make sense if the city was full of bright yellow ca---” The words died in his throat. “W-was that wall of guns there yesterday?!” he asked pointing at the massive display of guns on the warehouse wall in front of them.

“Yeah,” said Chanyeol. “You’re not very observant, are you?”

Baekhyun just stared open-mouthed.

Chanyeol walked up and down for a minute then selected a large black handgun.

“I’ll show you with a smaller gun first but you can have an assault rifle for the mission if you like,” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun had no particular opinions about this so he stayed quiet and after a second awkwardly shut his mouth.

“Keep the safety on when you’re not using it,” Chanyeol said and he showed Baekhyun how to turn the safety on and off.

“When shooting zombies, you want to aim for the head, in the centre if possible. If you’re not sure, shoot twice. You need to kill the brain or it’ll keep coming for you,” explained Chanyeol. “Aim like this,” he said taking a step away, so he was in front of Baekhyun then pointed the gun at his forehead.

Baekhyun froze in surprise. He was staring down the barrel of a gun for the first time in his life.

“Then shoot,” Chanyeol continued, apparently oblivious to Baekhyun’s shock. He pulled the trigger.

The gun emitted a small metallic click which echoed disproportionately around the cavernous warehouse.

Baekhyun blinked, it took him a second to realise he’d been holding his breath. The gun hadn’t fired, he hadn’t been shot. He was fine.

"You shot a gun at me!” he yelled as soon as he got his breath back.

Chanyeol looked surprised at his outburst and laughed. "Calm down, it's not loaded,” he said, opening the gun to show the chamber to Baekhyun. “See." They could both see there were 3 bullets nestled neatly inside. "Shit," breathed Chanyeol.

"Chanyeol!" yelled Baekhyun

"It's fine, I didn't shoot you,” protested Chanyeol but he’d lost his laughing manner. He looked rather sheepish.

“Is this how all those “accidents” you mentioned before happened?” asked Baekhyun, sarcastically sketching quotation marks with his fingers in the air.

“No, those were explosions,” said Chanyeol matter-of-factly.

“Great, something to look forward to,” snapped Baekhyun. “Give me that, I want to try,” he added, making a grab for the gun.

Chanyeol held it away from him and emptied out the chamber, slipping the bullets in his pocket before he handed it over.

Baekhyun held it up and pointed it at Chanyeol. He slightly enjoyed watching the involuntary wince Chanyeol made when he finally pressed the trigger. Baekhyun imagined the bullet flying out and he was pretty sure it would have flown into the dead centre of Chanyeol’s forehead. It didn’t seem that difficult. It was very much like aiming a gun in a game.

“Doesn’t seem too hard,” he said.

“Yeah well you might not want to let them get that close before you shoot,” said Chanyeol. He ran backwards so he was about 10 metres away. “Try from here,” he called.

Baekhyun aimed and pulled the trigger, but he was less confident he would have hit him in the forehead from that distance.

“Also, they tend to move around,” said Chanyeol. He slumped slightly to the side and began a lumbering, jerky walk towards Baekhyun.

Baekhyun instinctively backed up aiming the gun and trying to hold it steady while he moved but it was difficult because of the way Chanyeol was lurching dramatically. He pressed the trigger. He couldn’t have been sure that that shot would even have hit Chanyeol at all. 

Chanyeol stopped and straightened up. “See it’s easy, isn’t it?” he asked happily.

Baekhyun shrugged. He was feeling even less confident now than he had before.

Chanyeol went back over to the wall of guns. “If we get in any trouble I don’t want you to have to reload, so I’ll give you a fully loaded assault rifle and a couple of smaller guns, just in case,” he said offhandedly, taking down various guns.

Baekhyun watched somewhat numbly as he clipped cartridges into place and laid out the guns on a large table near the wall.

With all Chanyeol’s talk of rebels, a thought occurred to Baekhyun. “What do I do if I'm not sure if it's a person or a zombie?” he asked slowly. If he was expected to shoot from far away and possibly in poor light conditions how could he be sure?

“Just shoot them,” said Chanyeol without hesitation. “Shoot anything that moves.”

“See this is why you have no friends,” muttered Baekhyun. He watched Chanyeol pull out various holsters for the guns.

He screwed up his nose, this trigger-happy attitude didn’t quite tally with his experience yesterday. “Hey if that's true then why didn't you shoot me yesterday?” he asked.

“I told you, I thought you were a vampire,” said Chanyeol, looking up. “I thought it might be cool to have a vampire…friend,” he hesitated tellingly on the last word.

“Having your own little Twilight fantasy there, were you?” asked Baekhyun, amused.

Chanyeol laughed but somewhat self-consciously. He swept his hair back from his eyes unnecessarily.

“Well sorry to disappoint you,” said Baekhyun.

“I'm not disappointed. I'm almost glad I didn't shoot you,” said Chanyeol, teasingly.

“Almost? Gee thanks,” said Baekhyun.

“You know I could have shot you when I found out you weren't a vampire,” said Chanyeol, casually, as he dropped guns into holsters.

“You didn't even have a gun on you,” sneered Baekhyun.

“Yeah, I did,” said Chanyeol immediately and he produced a handgun from somewhere in his jacket.

Baekhyun was dumbfounded. “Oh my god, have you had that on you the whole time?! What other weapons do you have on you?”

Chanyeol produced another gun, this one a bit smaller than the first and a flick knife and a screwdriver. He bent down and pulled a long, thin, dangerous-looking blade smoothly from his boot.

Baekhyun gasped. “Oh, I want a boot knife!” he exclaimed, then glanced down at his own shoes, “Or sneaker knife? Is a thing?”

“Nope, that’s just a good way to stab yourself in the foot,” said Chanyeol with a laugh.

Baekhyun looked disappointed.

“I can make you one that straps onto your leg if you like?” offered Chanyeol.

“Ok!” said Baekhyun, happily.

He watched Chanyeol slipping the various weapons back into their hiding places amongst his clothes. 

“If you had that gun on you, then why didn't you shoot me when you found out I wasn't a vampire?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know,” shrugged Chanyeol, he crouched down to slide the knife back into his boot. “Guess I thought you might be useful,” he said, looking up at Baekhyun through his lashes, “…or good in bed. I'd take either,” he added with a smirk.

Baekhyun leant over him. “Chanyeol,” he said, his voice soft and dangerous.

“Yeah?” replied Chanyeol, cringing slightly.

“You are _really_ going to regret teaching me to shoot.”

To Baekhyun’s annoyance, a smile spread slowly across Chanyeol’s lips.

“Stop smiling at me! I’m threatening you!”

“I know,” said Chanyeol, letting out a breath. He held Baekhyun’s gaze admiringly. “It’s really hot.”

Baekhyun screwed up his eyes in annoyance. He placed his index and middle finger right in the centre of Chanyeol forehead and pushed hard. Chanyeol was already a little off-balance in his kneeling position and the push sent him sprawling backwards on the dirty warehouse floor, laughing delightedly.

Baekhyun ignored him and went over to the bench to examine the guns. After a minute Chanyeol pulled himself together and joined him. Together they carried the weapons they’d chosen back to the car.

Chanyeol went into the workshop and returned with a bag which he also packed into the car. He climbed in the driver’s side and motioned for Baekhyun to get in also. Chanyeol immediately started up the car and backed slowly out of the space into the open warehouse area.

“Wait, we’re not going now are we?” asked Baekhyun, he paused and spoke again trying his time to keep the alarm out of his voice. “I mean, we haven’t eaten yet.”

“No, we’ll definitely eat first. I’m just getting the car into position,” replied Chanyeol.

“Oh good,” said Baekhyun, relaxing into his seat and telling himself he definitely wasn’t stalling, he was just hungry.

He wondered if Chanyeol sensed his hesitation because when he stopped the car he said suddenly, “You’re going to come with me…right?”

“Do I have a choice?” asked Baekhyun cagily.

“No... I need someone to man the machine guns.”

“There’s machine guns?!”

“Yeah, see here,” said Chanyeol, turning in his seat to point at 2 guns mounted through gaps in the back window. “Just in case we get followed.”

Baekhyun might have been doubting his aim when I came to hitting moving zombies but was pretty damn sure he could hit a car with 2 machine guns.

“Huh,” he said. “That actually sounds kind of fun.”

“It’s not meant to be fun,” chastised Chanyeol. “This is war!” He quickly swivelled back around in his seat accidentally hitting the horn with his elbow as he went.

A loud, repetitive and extremely familiar tune blared out suddenly from the car’s horn. Chanyeol froze.

“Is that Baby Shark?!” asked Baekhyun.

“Yeah,” said Chanyeol miserably, as the sound finally died away. “I wanted the Game of Thrones theme song, but I grabbed the wrong one and now I can’t find another one anywhere in this damned city to replace it with.”

“Yes, I did hear the apocalypse had created an unfortunate shortage of novelty horns,” said Baekhyun sarcastically.

“I know, it’s ridiculous.”

“You’re ridiculous,” said Baekhyun, opening the car door and jumping out.

They went up in the kitchen and Chanyeol moved straight over to the cupboards and started pulling things out.

“Can you wash out the rice cooker?” he asked Baekhyun without looking up.

Baekhyun opened the rice cooker which still contained yesterday’s now very dried out rice. He pulled out the inner metal pot and looked around the kitchen.

“Where’s your bin?” he asked after he couldn’t find one.

“Don’t have one, just chuck it out the window,” said Chanyeol pointing at the window in the main room which he had thrown Baekhyun’s clothes out of the day before. “Just make sure you don’t drop the pot!” he called after Baekhyun. “I’ve already ruined 2 rice cookers that way.”

Baekhyun went over, opened the window and dumped the contents out, keeping a firm hold on the curved lip of the pot.

He went back into the kitchen and washed it out. As he watched the water pour freely from the tap, he marvelled again at that fact that Chanyeol had been able to plumb water in from the roof. At the commune, they had also used a rainwater tank, but they had to fill buckets of water from it for cooking and cleaning. The whole process had been exhausting and time-consuming.

He filled the cooker with rice from a large plastic tub in the corner, carefully rinsing it before turning on the cooker. The rice cooker was a basic model with no fast cook option and Baekhyun suspected it would take around 40 minutes to finish. His stomach gave a disappointed grumble. He was looking forward to having rice and tuna again, but he didn’t want to wait for it. 

“Do we have to wait for the rice to cook?” he asked, turning to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol had his hands full of bowls and cutlery and he dumped them unceremoniously on the table, then sat down.

“Nope, the is rice for later,” he said.

“What are we having now?” Baekhyun asked curiously, going over to the table to watch Chanyeol.

“This,” said Chanyeol, dumping out a can of tuna in each bowl then pouring half a can of corn on top. He pushed a bowl towards Baekhyun.

“What a disgusting combination! It looks like cat food,” exclaimed Baekhyun, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

“Suit yourself. I’ll just eat yours too then,” said Chanyeol with a shrug and he pulled Baekhyun’s bowl back towards him.

“No, I want it!” insisted Baekhyun, leaping forward to grab the bowl from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol released it without resistance and Baekhyun grabbed a spoon and sank into the free chair.

He ate a few tentative mouthfuls and was surprised to find it tasted fine. He dug in eating large spoonfuls quickly.

“You know, I’m not going to leap over the table and smack that out of your hands. You can eat at a normal speed,” said Chanyeol, looking amused.

“I’m just eating my cat food before it congeals,” retorted Baekhyun, “besides it’s better when you eat it faster you can’t taste it as much.”

Chanyeol laughed and shook his head.

Baekhyun continued eating but when he finished the bowl he regretted scoffing his food down so quickly. He felt like he had just brought the time they left for the mission even closer.

As soon as Baekhyun had that thought, even Chanyeol’s slow chewing seemed too quick and before he knew it, they were in the elevator going back down to the warehouse.

As they walked towards the car Baekhyun’s thoughts spiralled. He was really starting to think he couldn’t do this. Shooting zombies, he had no issues with but the thought of shooting another person by accident scared him. And what if his own ineptitude got them both killed? He had never wanted to get involved in all this rebel stuff, he just wanted to grow things and live life as best he could.

Chanyeol was already in the car. Baekhyun opened the passenger side door and paused.

“What are you doing? Get in,” said Chanyeol, after a minute.

Baekhyun shut the car door and slowly walked around the back of the car to the driver’s side.

Chanyeol had already opened the window.

Baekhyun spoke before he could. “I don’t think I can do this.”

A look of obvious disappointment crossed Chanyeol’s face but to his credit it was fleeting. He gave Baekhyun a gentle smile.

“It’s alright. It was a big ask, I know,” he said. “You can wait here.”

“Thanks,” said Baekhyun.

“And Baekhyun,” Chanyeol added, leaning out the car window.

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t eat all the rice while I’m gone!”

“I’m not really comfortable making promises like that,” said Baekhyun cheekily. “But if I do eat it all, I’ll put on another pot.”

“Deal,” said Chanyeol happily.

Baekhyun watched Chanyeol’s cheery smile slip as he swivelled in his seat to start the car up again. A second later he disappeared completely behind the tinted glass of the closing window.

Baekhyun looked around the warehouse and the shadowy corners seemed to get even darker till he felt them press in on him from all sides. He wrapped his arms around his chest. He didn’t know how long Chanyeol would be gone for. Chanyeol hadn’t even left yet but he was already feeling strangely alone.

What would he do if something happened and Chanyeol never came back?

He screwed up his eyes for a second then relaxed them smoothing out his expression as he reached a sudden decision. He would probably regret this, but he had the strangest feeling he’d regret not doing it even more.

The car was already driving towards the slowly opening electric garage door.

Baekhyun ran up to it and banged on the passenger side window.

The car stopped suddenly, and the window wound down smoothly, revealing Chanyeol’s confused face. “What are you doing? he asked.

“I’m coming with you!” exclaimed Baekhyun, opening the door and climbing inside.

“Why did you change your mind?”

“Well, you can’t man the machine guns and drive at the same time, can you?”

“Is that the only reason?” asked Chanyeol. He was watching Baekhyun’s profile intently.

“Yes,” lied Baekhyun as he scrambled into the backseat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Number of zombies killed this chapter = zero 😮 What am I even doing? Next chapter will have lots of action I promise. Please keep reading.


	4. Chapter 4

They left the warehouse and drove through the deserted streets. Baekhyun was surprised at how quiet the enormous black car was. He sat in the back peering through the heavily tinted windows and watching as the surroundings changed from industrial to commercial. It didn’t matter though, wherever they went the city was a half-destroyed shell of itself. They drove for around 20 minutes and Baekhyun grew less nervous every minute of the drive. There was something reassuring about Chanyeol in his huge car full of weapons that made him feel more confident that this might actually go well.

“That’s the one,” said Chanyeol, pointing out a building as they passed. Baekhyun pressed his face to the window trying to look up at it. The building had huge letters on the front, spelling out the name of a once-famous broadcasting station. On top of the flat roof, he could see the bottom of an enormous radio tower.

“Why aren’t we stopping?” asked Baekhyun, as he watched the building disappear around a corner.

“Got to hide the car,” explained Chanyeol. “I don’t want to leave it out in the open.”

They drove down into an underground car park below a nearby building, the metal roller door had been ripped off completely. Inside was gloomy and mostly empty except for some random debris. It gave Baekhyun an eerie feeling and reminded him of the vast emptiness of the warehouse.

Chanyeol drove the car around into the darkest corner where there was the most junk piled around.

They climbed out and Chanyeol threw a large piece of torn and dirty shade cloth, which was laying on the ground, up against the car to help shield it from view.

He reached into the back and started handing Baekhyun guns with various instructions. “Put this one in your jacket, strap this around your waist.”

Baekhyun did as he was told and then Chanyeol handed him an assault rifle, looping the strap over his head and shoulder.

“Keep a hold of this one, don’t let it go. The others are just for emergencies.”

Baekhyun nodded and watched Chanyeol loading up on more weapons. He slid the backpack on and let the car door shut with a slam. He came over to Baekhyun and pressed a pair of thick, black leather gloves into Baekhyun’s free hand. Baekhyun was about to put them on when he noticed Chanyeol wasn’t wearing any.

“Where are yours?” asked Baekhyun.

Chanyeol pointed at the gloves Baekhyun was holding. “That’s them. I’ve only got one pair.”

“You wear them then!” said Baekhyun, pushing them back into Chanyeol’s hands.

“I’d rather you did,” said Chanyeol, and he lifted the assault rifle from Baekhyun’s right hand and released it so it hung loosely from its strap then took both of Baekhyun’s hands in his and slid the gloves on gently. He pulled them down carefully and then tugged Baekhyun’s sleeves to meet them, so there was no skin showing at all.

Baekhyun looked down at the gloves, they were warm and soft, even if they were slightly too large. He looked up at Chanyeol who gave him a lopsided grin.

“Let’s do this,” said Chanyeol. His excitement was palpable now and slightly infectious.

The strode out of the car park and towards the building weapons in hand. Looking around as they went, there was no one in sight, even the air was still. Baekhyun’s own excitement levels were definitely increasing now. He felt like he was in a video game on a mission with a team, or in the trailer for an action movie, decked out with the best weapons and sure to win.

The effect was slightly ruined by an odd squelching noise he was making with every step. He looked down.

“Oh no,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Chanyeol immediately looking around scanning their surroundings.

“I left my shower caps on!” exclaimed Baekhyun, he lifted one shower cap covered shoe. He didn’t see how he could remove the cap without letting go of the gun which didn’t seem like a good idea now they were out on the street. 

“Too bad,” said Chanyeol. “We’re not stopping.”

“But if anyone sees me, they’re going to think I look ridiculous,” moaned Baekhyun.

“Well, they won’t think that for long, will they? _Remember_ , you’re going to shoot anyone you see,” said Chanyeol, pointedly.

“Yeah,” replied Baekhyun, feeling a little guilty. He wasn’t actually sure that he _was_ going to shoot anyone he saw.

They didn’t enter by the large boarded-up front door but went down a narrow, dirty alley to a fire exit on the side of the building.

Chanyeol fired his rifle at the double doors in the middle where the lock would be, and they gave after only a few shots.

Baekhyun looked around, the gun fired was so loud in the still, quiet alley but there didn’t seem to be anyone around to hear it.

Chanyeol opened one of the doors tentatively and leant forward to look inside. Baekhyun stayed behind him. Peering around Chanyeol’s shoulder he could see a dingy concrete fire stairway that spiralled up and out of sight. On the ground floor, the door off the staircase which led out into the main building stood open. The sight made him feel uneasy somehow though he couldn’t see much through the doorway, it was too dark.

“C’mon,” said Chanyeol and he entered the building.

Baekhyun followed. He hesitated by the outer door. “Should I close it?” he whispered.

“You don’t need to whisper,” said Chanyeol loudly. “You can close it.”

Baekhyun shut the door, cutting out even more light.

“There’s a flashlight, taped to your gun,” pointed out Chanyeol, as he switched his own flashlight on.

Baekhyun had mistaken the black cylinder on top of the gun for some kind of rifle scope, but now he felt around for the rubber button at the base and he switched it on. Their lights cut straight beams through the dusty darkness but didn’t help illuminate the shadows in the corners of the staircase or the blackness beyond the open door.

Chanyeol started up the stairs, keeping his gun raised and ready. Baekhyun imitated him and followed. They were up to the second flight when he heard a noise. Baekhyun paused and looked at Chanyeol who had also stopped.

“Up or down?” whispered Baekhyun.

“I think it was coming from below,” said Chanyeol, he barely had the words out when a familiar smell, rancid and decayed wafted up the stairs and the sound, an inhuman guttural moaning intensified.

Baekhyun’s knees felt weak, he gripped the gun tighter. From around the bend of the stairway, a cluster of zombies came dragging their destroyed limbs slowly up the stairs. Their clothes were torn and dirty, showing too much of their mottled grey skin which hung from their bones. The torchlight somehow made their snarling, savage faces and pale dead eyes even worse.

“It’s a game, it’s just a game,” Baekhyun said to himself, holding onto his gun so tightly his hands hurt.

“Well, you better play to win,” yelled Chanyeol. He shot the first zombie, twice and quick succession, 2 shots straight to the head, it fell. He aimed for the second, but even as he was firing more just kept coming.

Baekhyun raised his rifle too, he had no qualms now, these were very obviously zombies. He let off a volley of shots taking out 3 zombies in barely a second, causing their bodies to fall backwards down the stairs, tumbling into more zombies slowly making their ascent.

Chanyeol clapped him delightedly on the shoulder before aiming again. The more they shot the more seemed to take their places, clambering laboriously over the bodies already strewn all down the staircase. The putrid smell was so bad now Baekhyun could taste it. 

“Fuck,” yelled Baekhyun as yet another wave followed. “How many of them are there?!”

“Keep your mouth shut,” said Chanyeol, between shots.

“How can you tell me shut up at a time like this?!” snapped back Baekhyun.

“I'm not. I'm telling you to keep your mouth shut so infected zombie blood doesn't get in!” exclaimed Chanyeol.

“Ewww!” cried Baekhyun, before quickly closing his mouth. He realised Chanyeol had some sort of scarf tied around the lower half of his face.

Chanyeol laughed. “Try this,” he said, reaching over to pull up the top of Baekhyun turtleneck so it covered his mouth. “Now you can still yell at me.”

There was no time for yelling though, yet more zombies rounded the staircase corner, but Baekhyun did think having the turtleneck pulled up helped a bit with blocking out the smell.

“Let’s keep going up,” called Chanyeol and he gave Baekhyun a push up the stairs.

Together they backed up the staircase, still letting off shot after shot. When they got around the next bend, they found their path blocked. There were 2 upside-down metal shopping trolleys wedged into the staircase beyond. The zombies were too close to consider taking the time to try to climb over the trolleys. They couldn’t go up or down, they were trapped.

“What do we do?” asked Baekhyun. He felt scared again now.

“There can’t be that many more. Let’s just take care of them and then we’ll move the blockage,” replied Chanyeol reassuringly, but the zombies just kept coming and they were being forced back onto the landing of the 3rd floor and pressed into a corner. Chanyeol had clearly noticed this too because he slid around Baekhyun and managed to push open the heavy fire door behind them which led out into the main building. This gave them more room to move. Chanyeol had backed through the doorway, still firing down the staircase around Baekhyun.

Baekhyun had a sudden bad feeling, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He spun on the spot, his hair whipping around with the sudden movement. Behind Chanyeol through the doorway to the 3rd floor was an open lift foyer area and a horde of zombies were already making their way across it. The one in front was barely half a metre from Chanyeol’s back. Baekhyun stared as the stocky man, long dead, hissed and snarled, red stringy saliva dripped from its open mouth. Baekhyun fired repeatedly hitting the man in the head, the force blasting him backwards and causing him to careen into the others.

Chanyeol had turned now too, Baekhyun caught a glimpse of his expression, a mixture of wonder and shock. He raised his gun and shot the zombies in front, hitting them each quickly in succession.

Baekhyun left the 3rd floor zombies to Chanyeol as he returned to the ones on the stairs. He pressed his back against Chanyeol’s, so he knew where he was and felt Chanyeol press back on him too as he continued to unleash a constant wave of bullets.

After a minute, he pushed back hard to get Chanyeol’s attention. “Will this floor do?” he yelled, glancing over his shoulder.

Chanyeol shook his head and motioned to the ceiling.

They exchanged a meaningful look and he knew Chanyeol was thinking the same thing he was. There was no point wasting time and ammunition clearing the zombies on the lower floors when they only needed access to the roof. It was better to deal with the ones on the stairs and keep forcing their way up.

There didn’t seem to be as many zombies coming up the stairs now, either there weren’t many left on the ground floor or the staircase was blocked by bodies. Baekhyun took his chance, he ran forward, grabbed the closest shopping trolley and managed by shaking it hard to free it from where it was jammed. He pulled it onto the landing and managed to flip it the right way up. The second trolley was dislodged by the first and tumbled down the stairs towards him, he stepped aside to avoid it, pushing the first trolley quickly along the landing.

Chanyeol stopped shooting and flattened himself against the side of the wall as Baekhyun shoved the shopping trolley past him and into what remained of the group of zombies in the lift foyer.

Chanyeol pulled him back inside the staircase and they both forced the heavy door shut. Laughing Chanyeol shot another zombie which had managed to make its way up the stairs and Baekhyun rammed the second trolley down the staircase after it. It got caught on the mounting pile of bodies and caused an even bigger blockage.

“C’mon,” called Chanyeol excitedly, running up the stairs ahead of them.

Baekhyun followed, his heart pounding. Adrenaline had flooded his whole body now he felt like he could do anything. He kept an eye behind them as they ran up the stairs, shooting any movement below.

He had never run so hard in his life and when they finally made it to the rooftop door he was gasping for breath. Chanyeol pushed open the door and tugged him through, slamming it hard behind him. Baekhyun pulled down his turtleneck to free his mouth and nose, taking great gulps of the clean fresh smelling air.

Chanyeol scoured the ground, finding, at last, a broken-off piece of pipe which he wedged into the door handle to stop it being opened.

Baekhyun looked up, above them was the enormous red and white painted radio tower, it’s 4 legs were mounted on large concrete blocks. He was shocked by how still and quiet everything was compared to inside, even up there on the roof there was barely even a breeze.

Chanyeol had tugged the backpack off his back now and was rummaging around inside. He pulled out the tin can device which Baekhyun had found so amusing earlier and taped it to the bottom of one of the tower’s legs. He pressed some buttons on the old mobile phone then ran back to join Baekhyun.

“Why did you block the door?” asked Baekhyun, looking at the pipe jammed into place.

“Because we’re not going down that way,” said Chanyeol, he pulled a couple of long, thin coils of rope out of the backpack.

Baekhyun made a few indecipherable noises.

“I have no idea what you just said,” exclaimed Chanyeol, pulling out 2 worn looking harnesses, before zipping the bag back up and putting it on his back again.

“That’s because there are no words to describe how bad this plan is!” yelled Baekhyun.

Chanyeol laughed but ignored Baekhyun’s protest and tied one end of each of the ropes onto a sturdy-looking metal rail set into the side of the concrete roof.

“Put this on,” he said, throwing a harness to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun watched as Chanyeol slipped his own harness on and did the same. He made the mistake of peering down over the edge of the roof. They were even higher than he had realised.

“No, no, no, no, no,” moaned Baekhyun, he felt like all the adrenaline had left his body at the sight of the drop. “This isn’t safe!”

“And trying to get back down a staircase blocked by zombies is?”

“No, of course not, but there has to be another way!”

“There isn’t. That was a bomb I just started up, Baekhyun. We have to get out of here, now!” replied Chanyeol.

He pulled one of the ropes through the loops of Baekhyun’s harness in a practised way. He put Baekhyun’s left hand on the piece of rope which was tied to the roof and put the other piece in Baekhyun’s right hand. “It’s easy, just let a bit out at a time, don’t panic, the rope will hold you,” explained Chanyeol, rigging up his own harness.

“You go first,” urged Baekhyun.

“We’re going at the same time,” replied Chanyeol, blocking Baekhyun’s attempts to stall. He pulled Baekhyun right over to the edge and turned him around then positioned himself about a metre to his right.

Baekhyun followed Chanyeol’s lead pulling the rope taut and backing over the side. Even though he held the ropes the way Chanyeol showed him, the whole thing felt unnatural to him, he would really have liked to have had some sort of practice run before being forced to leap off a building that was about to explode.

“Oh, I hate this,” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“Just don’t look down,” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun immediately did the opposite and regretted it. He gasped involuntarily; the ground seemed even further away than it had a minute ago. He held on tight, looking at the side of the building he was descending and concentrating on letting a bit out of the rope at the time. The harness hurt but seemed to be holding his weight.

To his annoyance, Chanyeol let out a gleeful whoop and slid quickly downwards. Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut for a second praying he wasn’t about to hear the sound of Chanyeol’s body hitting the ground. But Chanyeol must have landed fine because a few seconds later, he called up, “You’re doing great! Just a bit further.”

Baekhyun’s feet touched the solid ground at last and he resisted the urge to collapse upon it completely. Chanyeol grabbed his arm, steadying him and pulling the rest of the rope through the loop to free him.

“We’ve got the go,” he said, tugging Baekhyun along.

Baekhyun felt wobbly on his feet but suddenly elated, they had done it, fought a load of zombies, planted the bomb and even abseiled down the side of a building and what’s more, they were both fine. He was so relieved he felt like singing.

As they left the alley, he realised they had turned the wrong way and were running away from the car park. 

“The car is this way, stupid,” he yelled, trying to pull Chanyeol the other direction.

“We’re not going to the car,” replied Chanyeol, he glanced at Baekhyun and his eyes were alight with excitement. “We’re going to watch!”

“Watch what?” asked Baekhyun.

“The explosion!”

Chanyeol kept running along the side of the next building and Baekhyun reluctantly followed. He didn’t want to see the explosion, he wanted to go straight back to the warehouse and stay there forever. Chanyeol looked up at a building a few down from the radio tower.

“This one looks like it’s got an open roof,” he said approvingly.

The building was fairly low only about 5 stories and it had a metal fire escape built onto the outside. Chanyeol jumped up and managed to pull the last bit of the retractable ladder down. It creaked noisily but slid down quite easily. Chanyeol scaled it quickly, Baekhyun following along behind him panting with exertion. He’s never liked climbing ladders. When they reached the roof, Chanyeol pulled him over the top.

The roof was an expanse of painted green concrete, a lot of bulky ventilation system hubs had been built into it at regular spacing. Chanyeol tugged him along, till they reached the other side then released him. Baekhyun slumped over, resting his hands on his thighs and breathing hard. He watched Chanyeol who had his left arm held up, glancing repeatedly from his watch to the radio tower and back.

“Any second now,” he breathed.

Baekhyun didn’t bother to look at the tower. No matter what Chanyeol said he still had a hard time believing that tin can thing was a bomb. He prepared himself to have to console Chanyeol when nothing happened.

To his complete shock, the sky was suddenly torn apart as a series of bright orange blasts went off. The bottom of the tower was absolutely obliterated, and the top seemed to hang in mid-air completely unsupported for a second before it was blown backwards crashing down onto the street below and colliding with the side of a neighbouring building.

“Oh fuck,” gasped Baekhyun. “It really was a bomb!”

“I told you!” laughed Chanyeol. He looked simply wild with excitement, his eyes were overbright, and he couldn’t stop fidgeting.

“Yeah, well, you also said this would be an easy mission!” retorted Baekhyun.

“It was!”

“Chanyeol, the place was filled with zombies!”

Chanyeol blinked at him. “That’s why I gave you a gun,” he said.

“You said that was “just in case”,” replied Baekhyun.

“Yeah, just in case the place was filled with zombies.”

“You left out the most important part!”

“Look, it’s fine, we’re fine,” insisted Chanyeol, coming over to him. “And you…you were amazing!” he said, looking Baekhyun right in the eye and giving him a look so tender and admiring that Baekhyun had to fight the urge to look away in embarrassment.

“Hey, give me that gun for a second,” said Chanyeol, softly. He took his own rifle off and sat it on the concrete.

“Why?” asked Baekhyun suspiciously but pulled the strap over his head and handed the gun over anyway.

Chanyeol placed it on the ground too, paused, then used his foot to push both guns even further away. “Because I don't want you holding a weapon when I do this,” he said at last and he reached out and pulled Baekhyun into a tight hug. 

Baekhyun’s arms hung limp with surprise for a second. What would his normal reaction have been? Probably to push Chanyeol off him, but he didn’t feel normal, nothing about anything felt normal anymore. He leant into the embrace, raising his arms and suddenly he was gripping Chanyeol hard and burying his face into his chest. Chanyeol held him tightly, rubbing his hands over his back and murmuring softly into his hair.

He didn’t know why Chanyeol being proud of him meant so much to him, but it did. Suddenly there was no apocalypse, no zombies, no rebels, and no bombs. He was just a boy on a rooftop hugging a boy that he liked, and he didn’t want to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve spent so much time apologising for all the fluffy domestic stuff in previous chapters, but now I feel like I need to apologise for all the gross zombies in this chapter 😅 I’m making the chapters shorter but more frequent by the way. Fingers crossed the next chapter should be posted next week.


	5. Chapter 5

There was a sudden clamour of loud voices on the street below and they broke apart awkwardly. They crept to the edge of the roof and peered over. A few heavily armed people came running up to the burning building from around the corner. The sight of them filled Baekhyun with fear, he quickly pulled his head back in case they looked up. He didn’t know if this was the same group of rebels who had attacked his friends, but it didn’t matter, he just knew they were dangerous and he wanted nothing to do with them.

“I bet it was that crazy kid!” one of them exclaimed angrily.

“The one who drives that yellow car?” asked another of them.

Baekhyun hit Chanyeol on the arm and whispered, “I told you it was noticeable!”

Chanyeol hushed him and pulled him away from the edge.

“C’mon we’ve got to get out of here.”

They snatched up their guns and ran quietly along the rooftop, keeping low and out of sight as they headed back to the fire escape.

Halfway there, Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s arm and pointed to where something large and black was visible through the ventilation hubs beyond.

“What’s that?” he hissed.

“I don’t care,” breathed Baekhyun, but Chanyeol had already changed direction. He slipped through a gap and Baekhyun reluctantly followed.

In front of them was an enormous black helicopter parked on a helipad. Baekhyun wondered if it was the one they’d seen fly over the night before.

“This must be their base,” exclaimed Chanyeol in surprise, “I thought it was the building next door.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” gasped Baekhyun. “If they use this building, we need to go, now.”

“Hold on, this just got interesting,” said Chanyeol, walking towards the helicopter.

“No, it didn’t. It just got more dangerous!”

“That’s the same thing,” said Chanyeol with a laugh, he opened the driver side door of the helicopter.

“You can’t fly a helicopter!” gasped Baekhyun.

“I could fly a helicopter if I wanted to,” said Chanyeol, sounding offended. “But I’m not going to,” he added, turning back to Baekhyun, a slightly maniacal gleam in his eye now. He produced another tin can device from his backpack. “I’m going to make sure no one else flies it either!”

“Oh god, they’re going to kill us,” groaned Baekhyun, as Chanyeol set up the device and planted it under the driver’s seat.

“They were always going to try and kill us, at least this way that won’t have a helicopter to help them,” said Chanyeol, shutting the door.

He grabbed Baekhyun’s hand and they ran back over to the fire escape. They climbed down quickly. Chanyeol peered around the side of the building. There were still rebels out in the street, calling to each other and inspecting the building damage.

“How are we going to get to the car?” whispered Baekhyun.

“It’s ok, that car park connects to a bunch of the buildings around here, there’s got to be another entrance,” replied Chanyeol, looking around.

Baekhyun followed Chanyeol as he slipped around the corner, moving from building to building until he found what he was looking for. Down a driveway, there was another busted in garage door and they ran down quickly and looked inside. It was definitely an underground car park, but Baekhyun wasn’t sure it was the same one their car was in. Chanyeol certainly seemed to think it was because he grabbed Baekhyun’s hand and pulled him inside. They ran quickly through the dark car park, as they rounded a corner it got suddenly lighter and Baekhyun realised they were near another entrance that was letting some light in. He could see the entrance they had used earlier further ahead and the shadowy corner the Mercedes was parked in but the section of car park directly in front of them was no longer empty. Baekhyun stared in horror at the row after row of haphazardly parked cars, which definitely hadn’t been there before.

“They parked here too?” gasped Baekhyun, but Chanyeol didn’t seem to have heard him. He was gazing in wonder at one of the cars, a red convertible with a hood down, and then he ran towards it suddenly.

“Oh my god! This is my red Lotus!” he exclaimed, “Look how scratched up it is,” he said pointing at the hood, “Those bastards!” He ran his hands over the dented hood, crooning, “My poor baby. Don't worry you're safe now. Daddy's going to take you home and fix you up.”

“Daddy? Seriously?! And you’re not touching that car, Chanyeol!” ordered Baekhyun.

“But Baekhyunnie, it came back to me! it's fate!”

“Don’t call me Baekhyunnie!”

“And they're not treating her right, just look at this hood!” Chanyeol continued, with a moan of pain.

“We've got no way to bring it back with us and you're just going to piss those rebels off even more.”

“But there's 2 of us! You can drive the Merc and I'll drive the Lotus,” suggested Chanyeol.

“You're seriously going to let me drive the Merc?” asked Baekhyun, he was interested now.

Chanyeol paused. “I misspoke, you take the Lotus, I'll take the Merc.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

Chanyeol opened the driver side door and peered inside, he gave a sudden laugh.

“What?”

“The fuckers have left the keys in it!” he exclaimed. “Oh, Baekhyun, you can’t tell me this isn’t fate!”

“Alright, alright, we’ll take the damn car. Let’s just go quickly, please!”

“Yes!” exclaimed Chanyeol, punching the air then sweeping Baekhyun into a hug and squeezing him around the waist.

Baekhyun pushed him off, trying to resist smiling at Chanyeol’s obvious glee. “Just go and get the car already!” he said, shoving Chanyeol in the direction of the Mercedes.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” called Chanyeol, running over to where the car was hidden.

Baekhyun looked at the Lotus, the driver side door was still open. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was more than a bit excited at the prospect of driving it. The only thing he’d ever driven was his father’s beaten up old hatchback and even that had been years ago.

He slid into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. The car started up quietly and his excitement mounted until he felt for the accelerator and realised there were 3 pedals, instead of 2.

“Fuck,” he breathed, he’d never driven a manual before. He had no idea where to start.

Chanyeol brought the Mercedes back around and Baekhyun wound down the window.

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol called, “Let’s go!”

“Chanyeol, this is a manual! I can’t drive this!”

“Sure, you can. It’s easy.”

“If It’s so easy then why did they invent automatics?!”

“Just calm down. You just need to raise the clutch slowly and press down the accelerator till you feel the biting point,” said Chanyeol.

“What the fuck is the biting point?!” exclaimed Baekhyun, staring at the gear stick in confusion.

“You’ll know when you feel it,” urged Chanyeol. “Try it.”

Baekhyun wiped sweat off his forehead and pressed down on the clutch. He put the car in first gear, then lifted his foot slowly off the clutch, released the handbrake and accelerated. The car lurched and stalled.

“You’re releasing the clutch too fast, you’ll know when the right time is, you’ll feel it,” called Chanyeol.

“I’m not feeling anything,” cried Baekhyun in frustration.

He tried again and the car stalled once more.

“Stop! You’re killing my baby! Baekhyun, calm down. Just gently lift the clutch and when you hear the engine noise change, press the accelerator.”

Baekhyun tried again, his hands were shaking on the steering wheel now. When the car stalled again, he felt like crying.

“Oh shit,” breathed Chanyeol, looking over his shoulder.

Baekhyun looked back too, half expecting the back of the Lotus to be on fire. Instead, he saw a group of men, clutching weapons run into the car park from the entrance behind them.

“Fuck, fuck fuck!” Baekhyun yelled, trying again and once again stalling.

A bullet glanced off the side of the Mercedes and whizzed past his head. He crouched lower in his seat. He couldn’t do this; he knew he couldn’t. He was going to die here and Chanyeol was going to die too all because he’d never learnt to drive a manual.

He managed to speak over the massive lump which had formed in his throat, “Chanyeol,” he gasped out. “Go! Please just go!”

But the Mercedes didn’t move, he looked through the open window and saw Chanyeol scrambling into the backseat. He glanced back over his shoulder in time to see the men ducking for cover behind the other cars as the machine guns started up.

After a minute they started firing again too, more bullets whizzed past and Baekhyun had to duck so low he couldn’t even try to get the car going now.

All of a sudden, there was a huge bang and earth shook, concrete dust and dirt rained down from the roof of the car park. Baekhyun hit his head on the car door in surprise before he realised it must have been the bomb in the helicopter finally going off. He quickly looked up and over his shoulder. He could see the men were running out of the car park, yelling and obviously going to investigate the source of the explosion.

He took a deep breath and pressed down the clutch and lightly tapped the accelerator, he lifted the clutch slowly and after a moment he heard it, felt it, something in the engine had changed, he released the handbrake and accelerated and the car took off.

“Chanyeol!” he yelled, over his shoulder and was greeted by a chorus of Baby Shark from the Mercedes’s horn as it charged after him.

He slowed down letting Chanyeol overtake him, and then followed him out of the car park.

He wasn’t sure, because the explosion was still ringing in his ears, but he thought he could hear Chanyeol whooping excitedly in the car in front of him.

Baekhyun followed the black car as it zoomed along the empty streets. He kept glanced in his mirrors to check they weren’t being followed but saw no sign of anyone. Now they were sufficiently far away from the bomb site he felt his elation growing. He was driving a Lotus, never in his wildness dreams did he imagine driving a car like this even if it was dented and scratched. He experimented with changing gears and the car practically purred around him.

He recognized the industrial area they had just entered and spotted what he thought was their warehouse up ahead. Suddenly, his heart started to beat fast in his chest, and he felt sure something would stop them getting there. He glanced back in his rear-view mirror repeatedly, but the road was still empty. The electric garage door opened slowly and had to stop himself from honking the horn to get Chanyeol to hurry up. After a minute that felt like 20, he followed the black car into the cavernous gloom of the warehouse. He watched the door roll shut behind him and let out a long breath.

He pulled off the gloves dropping them on the seat beside him then ran his hands over his shoulders, down his arms. He felt his stomach, his legs then back up to his neck, he touched the tender spot on the side of his head where he had hit the car door. He could scarcely believe he had made it out of there with only that one minor injury and even that barely hurt.

The driver side door opened, and he looked up to see Chanyeol standing there. Baekhyun swung his legs out of the car and Chanyeol leant down and took his hands in his. Baekhyun thought he was going to pull him out of the car but instead, he crouched down, still gripping Baekhyun’s hands.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the place would likely be filled with zombies. It’s kind of that group’s M.O. They round up a bunch of zombies and put them inside, so they don’t have to guard all the places they use,” explained Chanyeol, he had his eyes down focused on Baekhyun’s hands which he was rubbing gently with his own. He kept running his fingers repeatedly through Baekhyun’s like he was trying to memorize them. “I should have told you, but I just didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Alright,” said Baekhyun, keeping his voice deliberately cool.

“But I’m so proud of you. You did so well,” Chanyeol said earnestly, making eye contact at last. “And you looked _really_ hot too,” he added with a grin, “…apart from when you were crying over abseiling and stalling the car, I mean.”

“I wasn’t crying!” snapped Baekhyun.

Chanyeol didn’t say anything, he just kept grinning and caressing Baekhyun’s hands.

“You should have just left me there,” whispered Baekhyun seriously.

“No way!” exclaimed Chanyeol. “You’re my partner in crime now! Plus, I've already lost that Lotus once already. I wasn’t going to do it again,” he added cheekily.

Baekhyun laughed, but he still felt strangely guilty. “It might have some bullet holes in it now.”

“Everything I own has bullet holes in it,” said Chanyeol shrugging.

“I still think you should have left me there,” said Baekhyun

Chanyeol shook his head. “I couldn’t do it. I've got like 2000 cans of tuna that aren't going to eat themselves. I need help.”

“Yeah, you do. In more ways than one,” said Baekhyun with a smirk.

“You know how I said before that I was almost glad that I didn’t shoot you?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m willing to upgrade that to pretty glad I didn’t shoot you,” said Chanyeol, mirroring Baekhyun’s smirk.

“Wow, what a compliment,” said Baekhyun sarcastically, pulling his hands out of Chanyeol’s grip.

“I mean, now I’ve got my Lotus back I need someone to take out on dates,” said Chanyeol casually.

“I told you that isn’t going to happen!”

“I know she’s not much to look at now, but I’ll fix her up,” continued Chanyeol.

“That’s not the part I have a problem with!”

“What’s the problem then?”

“You!”

“Me?” asked Chanyeol, giving him an offended pout. “I’ll have you know I’m a pretty good date.”

Baekhyun scoffed. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Well, you will, when you go on a date with me,” laughed Chanyeol. “Now what have you done with my gloves?” he asked before Baekhyun could retort.

“They’re right here,” replied Baekhyun, picking them up off the seat next to him and handing them to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol slipped them into his jacket and stood up. He clasped Baekhyun’s hands again and pulled him out of the car. “What do you want to do now?” he asked.

“I just want to get this damn harness off and climb into the shower... and curl up in a ball and cry,” said Baekhyun.

Chanyeol laughed. “Alright, you do that,” he said, releasing him. “I need some quality alone time with my baby.” He patted the battered hood of the lotus.

“Thanks for that disturbing imagery,” said Baekhyun, as he walked off towards the elevator.

“Hey,” Chanyeol called after him, “can you give me one of those hair flips before you go?”

“What?” asked Baekhyun, turning back in surprise.

“Like you did when we were fighting those zombies you flipped your hair around and it —"

“I didn't do that on purpose!” interrupted Baekhyun.

“…was Majestic!” continued Chanyeol.

Baekhyun scoffed.

“C'mon, do it again for me,” urged Chanyeol.

“No!” snapped Baekhyun, he turned sharply back towards the elevator and his hair bounced and swished on its own as he moved. 

“Thank you!” called Chanyeol.

“Fuck off,” called back Baekhyun with a laugh.

“Don’t forget to change your shower caps.”

“Yeah, yeah,” replied Baekhyun, rolling his eyes and giving him a dismissive wave as the elevator doors closed.

Upstairs he found the box of disposable shower caps, changed his and threw the dirty ones out the window. He hunted around until he found clean towels and got himself some clean comfortable clothes too. Then he traipsed up to the roof for a shower. As the hot water poured soothingly over his head, he realised he didn’t feel like curling in a ball and crying anymore, in fact, he felt happy and relaxed. He looked out over the roof at the empty sky and thought that at least he wasn’t going to be caught naked by that black helicopter today. The thought made him laugh. He shampooed his hair leisurely and let his thoughts wander to Chanyeol. The day’s events had given him a newfound respect for Chanyeol’s abilities, and he felt his cheeks heat up when he remembered the hug on the rooftop and the gentle way Chanyeol had touched his hands downstairs.

He took his time showering, then after he’d gotten dressed in another warm tracksuit, he found Chanyeol in the kitchen stirring the rice.

“You hungry?” Chanyeol called over his shoulder.

“Always,” replied Baekhyun.

“What do you want to eat with your ri--?”

“Tuna!” interrupted Baekhyun.

“You’re going to get very sick of tuna if you eat it all the time,” warned Chanyeol.

“No,” said Baekhyun dismissively. “I don’t believe that will ever happen.”

“Alright,” said Chanyeol. “Just let me have a quick shower first, then we’ll eat.”

He ran back into the spare room and grabbed a towel then headed up to the roof.

Baekhyun looked around the kitchen, opening cupboards and peering inside. He found bowls and cutlery and set the table. Then a thought occurred to him. He crept up the staircase and leant around the open doorway at the top.

Chanyeol was singing happily in the steamy haze of the shower. His clothes were on the chair Baekhyun had used yesterday. He thought about Chanyeol throwing out his lucky pants, well two could play at that game.

Baekhyun sprung forward snatched up the clothes and ran downstairs again. He went over to the window and hurled them out. That would teach Chanyeol to throw his lucky pants out. Serenely he went back to the kitchen and got out a couple of tins of tuna.

A few minutes later he heard Chanyeol coming down the stairs and he positioned himself near the windows. Chanyeol strolled in wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist and Baekhyun tried to keep his eyes on his face and failed. He’d never seen Chanyeol with so little on before. Chanyeol gave him a pleasant smile as he passed.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” asked Baekhyun, annoyed.

“About what?”

“Where are your clothes?”

Chanyeol pointed down the corridor to the room piled with clothes.

“No,” replied Baekhyun. “The clothes you were wearing today!”

“I don’t know,” said Chanyeol, shrugging. “I didn’t see them when I got out of the shower.”

“That’s because I took them!”

Chanyeol looked surprised. “Why?” he asked. Then gave Baekhyun a cheeky smile and added teasingly, “Oh, are you one of those people who likes to sniff underwear?”

“What?! No! for revenge! You threw out my clothes, so I’ve thrown out yours!”

“Oh,” said Chanyeol like he didn’t know what else to say.

“Well, how do you feel?” asked Baekhyun, crossing his arms.

“A bit cold. I mean, I was about to go get dressed.”

“Aren’t you angry?”

“There’s really no point being angry about the weather.”

“I meant about me throwing out your clothes!”

“No, I have lots of clothes and I hate doing laundry. You kind of did me a favour.”

Baekhyun huffed irritably.

“Really it would have been better revenge to throw out _all_ my clothes except those ones,” continued Chanyeol. “Because then I’d have to do laundry and--,” he paused because Baekhyun had raised an eyebrow and looked interested in the idea.

“No, actually, forget I said that!” he added quickly, his hands raised in alarm.

“I’m starting dinner without you!” yelled Baekhyun and he ran back into the kitchen.

When Chanyeol joined him a few minutes later dressed in a pale-yellow hoodie and grey tracksuit pants, Baekhyun was already eating morosely. At the sight of Chanyeol, he mashed his tuna into his rice aggressively with his spoon.

Without a word, Chanyeol grabbed his bowl and went over to the rice cooker to fill it up and he came back to the table and opened the 2nd can of tuna, dumping it out over the rice.

Baekhyun continued to mix his food angrily, purposely not looking at him.

“I didn’t realise you were still upset about those pants,” said Chanyeol. “I told you I was sorry.”

“I’m over it,” said Baekhyun coldly.

“Really?” asked Chanyeol sceptically, looking at the pulpy mess in Baekhyun’s bowl.

“No! I want you to go through the rubbish pile and find them!”

“I would…” said Chanyeol hesitantly, “but I’ve seen rats in there the size of dogs!”

“Then you’ll fit right in!”

“Is this actually about the pants or are you mad at me about something else?”

“I…” began Baekhyun immediately then paused. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think I’m mad at you at all.”

“And that annoys you for some reason?” hazarded Chanyeol, he was trying to keep a straight face, but his lips kept tipping up at the corners.

“Yes,” said Baekhyun, giving his tuna one last jab with this spoon. He burst out laughing. He felt it pour out of him in an uncontrollable rush that only got worse when Chanyeol joined in. Baekhyun laughed until his ribs ached and his stomach hurt and he leant against the table breathing gasping for air and feeling strangely relieved.

He rested his face against the cold tabletop. “I guess I’m so used to being mad at you. Feels weird not the be,” he said, glancing up at Chanyeol who was watching him amused.

“Well I could do some stuff to piss you off if you like?” offered Chanyeol. “I know where your buttons are and exactly how to push them.”

“You sure do.”

Chanyeol ate a large spoonful of his food. Then pointed his spoon at Baekhyun. “Now you’ve beaten that into submission, you should eat it. We’ve got places to go tonight.”

“Eh, tonight?” asked Baekhyun surprised, he didn’t think they’d be leaving the warehouse again for some time.

“Yeah,” said Chanyeol, nonchalantly.

“Where are we going?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re downstairs,” said Chanyeol evasively, he shovelled another spoonful of tuna and rice into his mouth.

Baekhyun didn’t like the sound of that. He had a feeling Chanyeol was going to reveal another bombing plan. 

“Eat!” urged Chanyeol.

When they were finished Baekhyun followed Chanyeol over to the elevator.

“Wait, can I go dressed like this?” asked Baekhyun. He was wearing a baggy tracksuit and he expected Chanyeol would make him change.

Chanyeol looked him up and down.

“Yeah, you look cute.”

“What does me looking cute have anything to do with it?”

“Nothing,” said Chanyeol with a shrug.

“I'm dressed exactly like you!” pointed out Baekhyun.

Chanyeol gave him a coy smile and leant in. “Are you saying I look cute too?”

“No!” exclaimed Baekhyun and he shoved Chanyeol into the elevator.

When they were down in the warehouse Chanyeol pulled him quickly through the darkness.

“Get in, get in,” he said, running around to the driver’s side of the car.

Baekhyun slid into the passenger side then immediately raised himself up in his seat in surprise. “What is this?” he asked pulling a hard leather-covered object out from under his butt.

Chanyeol glanced at it. “A knife,” he said succinctly.

“A knife?!” exclaimed Baekhyun. “Why would you put this on my seat?!”

“It’s a present.”

“I prefer not to be impaled by my presents!”

“You’re fine, it’s in a case. You said before you wanted a knife to strap onto your leg.”

“Oh,” said Baekhyun, deflating slightly. “I did.” He examined the knife. it was sleek and sharp and slid smoothly in and out of its case. “Thank you,” he said rather begrudgingly, then excitedly slipped the strap over his right foot.

“I put an adjustable strap on it,” explained Chanyeol. “So, you should be able to tighten it to fit on your ankl--” he broke off watching Baekhyun wriggling the strap up his leg so it fit snugly around his thigh. “Or thigh?...Sure.” He tilted his head still watching appreciatively.

“Stop looking at it!”

“I can’t help it; it just fits so nice. Not everyone has the thighs to pull that look off,” said Chanyeol.

“I know,” said Baekhyun smugly. He also thought the knife looked pretty good where it was. “Now keep your eyes on the road.”

“I’m not even driving yet,” laughed Chanyeol, but he faced the front and started up the car. They drove out of the warehouse and out onto the now dark streets.

Baekhyun glanced out the side window, he thought they were going in a different direction than before.

“Where are we going anyway?”

“You’ll see,” replied Chanyeol playfully.

Baekhyun stared through the windscreen at the stylish curves of the hood. It looked amazing, shiny, and smooth. He sniffed, the car even smelt good, like some kind of leather oil. It occurred to him with a start, that they were in the red Lotus.

“Chanyeol?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are we in the Lotus?!”

Chanyeol faced forward, determinedly not looking at him, but Baekhyun could still see the broad smile which bloomed immediately on his lips.

“Chanyeol…is this a date?!” Baekhyun spluttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 soon and they’ll finally be going on the date I mentioned in the fic summary…and…there might be some…ahem…touching? 👀


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I said at some point that I’d be writing shorter but more frequent chapters?...well clearly I lied. Here take this 6500+ word monstrosity!

Chanyeol didn’t reply, he just kept grinning to himself. He turned sharply and accelerated on a long stretch of straight road.

“Are you even going to answer me?!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“No,” said Chanyeol, with a laugh. He glanced sideways at Baekhyun’s furious expression. “Alright, yes, it’s a date!” he admitted. “Happy now?”

“No, I’m not! You're supposed to ask people if they want to go on a date. Not just abduct them!” protested Baekhyun.

“I did ask you.”

“No, you didn't! You just told me to get in the car.”

“Alright,” said Chanyeol, with a shrug and he stopped the car so abruptly that Baekhyun gasped as he was jerked forward in his seat.

Chanyeol turned to face him. Looking at Baekhyun with imploring eyes he asked, “Can I please take you out on a date?”

Baekhyun pursed his lips and considered. He watched Chanyeol’s eyes grow bigger and bigger with every second that he waited. “Yes,” he said slowly.

Chanyeol radiated happiness, he smiled so broadly that Baekhyun thought he could see every single one of his teeth.

“...but only if I get to drive,” added Baekhyun quickly.

Chanyeol’s smile faded into a pout. “But you don’t know where we’re going,” he pointed out.

“So? You can give directions, can’t you?” asked Baekhyun, he opened his car door and got out while Chanyeol whined.

He went quickly around the back of the car, purposefully not looking around at the eerily quiet, dark street and tried to open Chanyeol’s door. It was locked. Through the tinted window he caught sight of Chanyeol trying to press himself as far back against the seat as possible. 

He tapped sharply on the window. “Get out now or the date’s over,” he called. 

The door opened and Chanyeol squeezed out still whining.

“Better get in quick, or I’ll leave without you,” said Baekhyun, laughing as he slid into the driver’s seat.

“Considering how long it took you to start the car last time, I’ll take my chances,” called back Chanyeol, but he opened the passenger side door a few seconds later and clambered in.

Baekhyun smiled and ran his hands over the steering wheel, it was a little bit of a stretch.

“How do you move this seat forward?” Baekhyun asked, feeling down the side of the seat for a lever.

“You can figure it out,” said Chanyeol, stretching out lazily in his own seat.

“You suck,” said Baekhyun.

“I hope you do too, given all the effort I’m going to with this date,” replied Chanyeol under his breath.

“Is it hard to get blood out of leather seats?” Baekhyun asked pointedly.

“Depends on whether it’s dried in or not, because,” began Chanyeol, he looked over at Baekhyun and saw the threatening way he was fingering the handle of the knife strapped to his thigh. “ _Oh_.” He pointed towards the front of Baekhyun’s seat. “The seat adjuster’s at the front,” he said meekly.

“Thank you,” said Baekhyun, pulling the seat forward. He checked and adjusted the mirrors, and positioned his feet and hands correctly, while Chanyeol watched. “Ok,” he said quietly. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He was determined not to stall the car this time.

“You’ve got this,” said Chanyeol encouragingly. “Remember you’ve just got to find the--“

“If you say anything about the god damn biting point to me, you will find out what _my_ biting point is, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun cut in irritability.

“I don’t understand what you find so confusing about that term.”

“Because it doesn’t make any sense! It’s literally the most pointless instruction you could give me!”

“No, it does make sense, you see when you get it to the right point the clutch plate engages the engine plate and—”

“And…” said Baekhyun, talking loudly over him, “I’m biting you now!” He leant over and grabbed Chanyeol’s left arm.

“No!” squealed Chanyeol, throwing himself sideways against the car door laughing. “I’ll stop talking about it!”

Baekhyun let go of Chanyeol’s arm, but as he withdrew his hand Chanyeol caught it suddenly. He squeezed it warmly for a second then placed it gently on the gear stick. “Just take it slow,” he said, “We’ve got all night.”

Baekhyun glanced from his hand up to his face and the soft look he was giving him. He turned to the front and smiled to himself as he pressed down on the clutch. He shifted into first gear, tapped the accelerator, lifted the clutch, till he felt the tell-tale vibration then released the handbrake. He lifted the clutch even further while pressing down the accelerator and the car took off smoothly without stalling. He resisted the urge to shout in triumph and settled for grinning widely instead.

“Yes, nicely done,” said Chanyeol. “I’m such a good teacher.”

“You’re a fucking terrible teacher, I’m just a naturally talented driver.”

“Go left at the next block,” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun attempted to put the indicator on but somehow turned on the wipers instead.

“Yeah, you’re a real prodigy,” laughed Chanyeol, while Baekhyun frantically tried to turn them off. “Who are you trying to indicate for anyway?”

“I’m just following the road rules,” said Baekhyun defensively, turning left onto another dark street.

“There are no rules anymore,” said Chanyeol. He put his hand on Baekhyun’s and moved the gear stick.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Taking it up a gear. Press down the clutch.”

Baekhyun pushed down on the clutch and let Chanyeol’s hand guide his in shifting up to second gear.

“When you feel the engine straining like that you need to go up a gear,” explained Chanyeol. “Turn right, after this bridge.”

They drove on for a while, Baekhyun following Chanyeol’s directions. The streets were all dark and featureless to him, he wasn’t sure how Chanyeol knew where he was going, but he certainly seemed to.

“Ok, turn left here into this car park,” ordered Chanyeol.

Baekhyun peered through the windscreen, it didn’t look like much of a car park, just a wide dusty space completely devoid of any cars. He pulled in and Chanyeol opened this door immediately and jumped out.

Baekhyun turned off the engine and hesitantly got out of the car. He looked around but couldn’t make out anything in the darkness. He wished he’d left the headlights on.

He hadn’t considered before then what kind of place Chanyeol would think appropriate for a first date. But standing in the deserted car park with the darkness pressing in around him, he felt suddenly apprehensive.

Chanyeol was busy pulling things out of the trunk. He put on a large heavy looking black backpack.

“You better not have brought a bomb on our date,” said Baekhyun.

“It’s not a bomb,” said Chanyeol with a laugh. “Maybe it’s a romantic picnic?” he said suggestively.

“I’d rather be blown up,” muttered Baekhyun.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

“Oh, there will absolutely _not_ be a next time,” said Baekhyun. “Where are we anyway?” he asked, squinting through the darkness.

Chanyeol turned on the torch and raised it in a slow arc which illuminated the dirty crumbling façade of a fun park entrance. The archway which had no doubt once been lit up with brightly coloured lights was now dark, dusty, and ominous looking. Through the broken turnstiles, the fun park beyond was just visible, eerie, and long since abandoned.

Baekhyun stared, the place looked like the set of a teen horror movie.

“Why would you bring me here?” he asked in disgust.

“Why do you think?”

“Uh, to murder me?!”’

“What? I could murder you just as easily at the warehouse,” said Chanyeol, he handed Baekhyun an assault rifle gun.

“Should I be concerned that you’ve thought about this?!” asked Baekhyun, absentmindedly slinging the strap of the gun over his chest.

“I’m joking,” said Chanyeol and he passed Baekhyun another smaller gun in a holster dangling from a black leather belt.

“Well I’m serious, why did you bring me here?”

“What do you do at fun parks?” asked Chanyeol eagerly, he was clearly very excited now. 

“Well if you’re me, you eat a lot and throw up on the roller coaster,” replied Baekhyun, strapping the belt on.

“We could do that if you like, you did eat quite a lot before,” said Chanyeol with a laugh.

“Has it escaped your notice that this place is abandoned?”

“Not for long!”

He smiled brightly in the torchlight, stepping towards the entrance, he held out his hand to Baekhyun.

“I have a very bad feeling about this,” said Baekhyun, as he reluctantly took Chanyeol’s hand.

Chanyeol whooped delightedly and pulled him forward under the archway.

They strolled through the dark fun park. Chanyeol happily swinging their joined hands and Baekhyun using the flashlight on his gun to look into every dark corner. From what he could see the place was completely empty, just very dilapidated with random debris and smashed in concession stands everywhere.

“This place is pretty romantic, huh?” said Chanyeol, he squeezed Baekhyun’s fingers and gave him a coy look.

“How much of that car polish did you breathe in?!” ejected Baekhyun in disbelief. “We’re in a dirty, half-destroyed fun park in the middle of the night in a city overrun by zombies and you think that's romantic?”

Chanyeol shrugged and if anything looked even coyer. “I think anywhere with the right person can be romantic,” he said.

“Oh, I don't even need the roller coaster I'm going to throw up right here,” said Baekhyun, pulling his hand out of Chanyeol’s.

“Are you sure?” asked Chanyeol, he pointed above them and Baekhyun looked up following the torchlight. In front of them was an enormous, old wooden roller coaster. “Let’s ride it!” he yelled excitedly and ran forward. 

“Chanyeol, there’s no way that thing’s going to work!” exclaimed Baekhyun, reluctantly following him. 

“Not the way it is now, but maybe with a bit of help?” said Chanyeol smugly, tugging on the shoulder strap of the backpack.

“What have got in there?” asked Baekhyun warily.

“A portable generator,” Chanyeol said then he climbed easily over a low wooden fence at the base of the rollercoaster blocking access to a small shed, which had ‘employees only’ stuck on the door in peeling red letters.

Chanyeol scrambled around in the shed while Baekhyun dithered nervously outside. He held up his torch and ran it over the rollercoaster’s track following the path the train would take, growing increasingly more apprehensive the more he saw of the aged and rusty tracks. He was not keen on heights at the best of times, but he especially didn’t like the idea of riding on a rollercoaster that looked like it was abandoned before he was even born.

His torch found something that made his stomach drop, the tracks had fallen away at one point, breaking off in a twist of jagged metal that hung down over a high loop.

“Chanyeol!” he called.

“What?” came Chanyeol’s voice muffled from somewhere inside the shed.

“Look at this!” he exclaimed, while Chanyeol emerged and climbed over the fence again. Baekhyun held his torch steady over the broken off part of the track. “The track is completely broken!”

“And that’s a dealbreaker for you?” asked Chanyeol, looking longingly at the roller coaster.

“Yes! Of course, it is!” exclaimed Baekhyun, smacking Chanyeol on the arm.

“Alright, let me grab the generator. Maybe there’s another rollercoaster around,” he said glancing hopefully into the darkness surrounding them.

Baekhyun prayed there wasn’t.

They ambled down the main walkway. Chanyeol kept his torch beam high up, evidently hoping to spot another roller coaster, while Baekhyun looked at the smaller rides they passed. When they turned off onto a side pathway, his torch beam passed over a low concrete building, luridly painted and with open sides, that made his heart skip a beat. He stopped and quickly read the overhead sign.

“Bumper cars!” he breathed excitedly. “Oh, I used to love these as a kid.”

Chanyeol had stopped too and was peering into the building.

“Would the generator work on this?” Baekhyun asked, grabbing Chanyeol’s arm excitedly.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” replied Chanyeol. He ran up the short staircase, Baekhyun following eagerly.

Chanyeol went over to a room that looked like it housed the controls while Baekhyun bounced lightly across the dark rubbery floor looking around him with interest.

The bumper cars didn’t appear in much better condition than the rollercoaster had. They were dusty, many were tipped over or haphazardly piled on top of each other around the edges of the ring. The fake leather seat of the one closest to him looked like it had been gnawed on by rodents. But all the same, he felt a small thrill of mingled excitement and nostalgia looking at the small brightly coloured bumper cars.

All of sudden, there was a low humming sound and the place lit up. Chanyeol emerged from the room beaming gleefully and wiping his dusty hands on sides of his pants.

“Do you think the cars will work?” asked Baekhyun, prodding an upturned one with his foot.

“They should, if nothing’s chewed through the wiring, the electricity comes through the floor,” he explained pointing at the flat metal tracks built into the rubber floor at regular intervals.

They took off their assault rifles and sat them on the edge of the ring near the control room. Then Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun savagely into the nearest pile of upturned cars and ran off across the floor laughing maniacally.

“I bags the red one!” he yelled, jumping in a red car in the centre of the ring and attempting to get his long legs inside the small car.

Baekhyun dragged himself out of the heap and ran over to a blue car nearby, squeezing quickly inside. He slammed his foot on the accelerator and the car took off with the jerk. He spun the steering wheel and headed for Chanyeol who appeared to be having some difficulty with his chosen car.

“Hold on!” Chanyeol yelled, “Mine doesn’t work!”

“Too bad!” yelled Baekhyun as he slammed into the side of Chanyeol’s stationary car succeeding in pushing it a couple of metres across the floor.

He backed up ready to ram into Chanyeol again.

“You better run!” Chanyeol said pointing his finger at Baekhyun warningly, but he was laughing when he leapt out of the tiny car. Stumbling slightly he ran across the rubber floor and clambered into another nearby bumper car.

“Hey, that’s cheating! You can’t change cars!” exclaimed Baekhyun.

Chanyeol whooped delightedly as he slammed on the accelerator and the new car shot forward. “You’re in for it now!” he yelled.

Baekhyun considered staying where he was and facing Chanyeol’s car face on then chickened out and quickly accelerated. He swerved around Chanyeol’s abandoned car and attempted to outflank him. There was an empty car blocking his way and manoeuvring around it cost him valuable time. He caught a glint of green metallic paint out of the corner of his eye as Chanyeol’s car zoomed around from the other side and rammed into him side on and pushing his car into the empty one with a shriek of rubber. Baekhyun jerked in his seat, his foot was pressed right down on the accelerator and he spun the wheel wildly but Chanyeol was repeatedly ramming his car so he couldn’t get away from where his was jammed in against the empty one. He made a split-second decision and jumped up on the seat sliding quickly into the car next to him instead.

“I thought changing cars was cheating?” laughed Chanyeol.

“Only when you do it!” roared Baekhyun, zooming off.

They spent a happy 20 minutes ramming each other and chasing each other around the floor. After a particularly vicious bump from Baekhyun Chanyeol’s car spun out eventually stopping almost side by side with Baekhyun’s. The lights dimmed suddenly and they both glanced around.

“I think the generator is running out of power,” said Chanyeol. “It’s not a very big one.”

Baekhyun pressed his accelerator and though it made a small noise nothing happened. “Yeah, looks like it.”

Chanyeol sighed serenely leaning back in his seat and looking around at the wreckage of bumper cars around them.

“So, I was right about this being pretty romantic, huh?”

“Nothing says romance like repeatedly ramming someone with a car,” said Baekhyun sardonically.

“Yeah,” agreed Chanyeol, with a contented smile. He swivelled in his seat and leant forward towards Baekhyun’s car.

“What are you doing?” asked Baekhyun suspiciously.

“Lean this way a little,” suggested Chanyeol, motioning for Baekhyun to come closer.

Baekhyun pointed at a large, though faded, sign on the wall which said, ‘Limbs must remain inside the vehicle at all times.’

Chanyeol laughed. “Well, lucky it says limbs, not lips,” he said, making a big show of putting his arms behind his back and then leaning even further towards Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun hesitated, watching Chanyeol, with his big, earnest eyes and softly parted lips. He really was extremely attractive.

“Shut your eyes,” ordered Baekhyun. “It’s creepy.”

Chanyeol obediently closed his eyes. Baekhyun kept his open, he didn’t like surprises.

He leant in till their lips met. He was scared for a second that he might have forgotten how to kiss, it had been so long, but as soon as their mouths touched instinct took over. It was a soft, delicate kiss, warm and enticing and it seemed to linger on his lips for a few seconds after he’d pulled back.

Chanyeol was giving him a lush, heavy-lidded look. “What would you do if I pulled you into my bumper car?” he said softly.

Baekhyun slid the knife from his thigh holster with a swift flourish.

Chanyeol laughed delightedly and, confirming in Baekhyun’s mind that he was completely crazy, he leant over for another kiss. This one went deeper. Baekhyun let his mouth be opened, with a little insistence from Chanyeol’s tongue. One of Chanyeol’s warm hands cupped the back of his neck, gently guiding him closer. His eyes fell shut, sinking into the kiss and letting himself get caught up in the warm tangle of it.

He could feel Chanyeol’s urgency now though he was trying to hide it. The hand on the back of his neck tightened. He thought he could even hear Chanyeol's blood pumping. Or was that his own? He knew he’d missed kissing, but had it always been this good?

He leant forward eagerly. He wanted to touch Chanyeol to, maybe even let himself be pulled into his bumper car but he was still holding the unsheathed knife. He fumbled trying to get it back into its cover without cutting himself or breaking the kiss. He opened his eyes and caught a flash of movement over Chanyeol’s left shoulder. Without even thinking, he pulled back, yanked the gun from the holster on his right hip and fired, hitting the lurching zombie in the head twice in quick succession.

Chanyeol looked around startled, his eyes went from the very dead zombie to Baekhyun, whose mouth was still open in surprise at how quick he’s reflexes had been.

“That was really sexy," said Chanyeol admiringly.

“Well, prepare to be very turned on because there's more of them,” said Baekhyun, pointing behind Chanyeol to where a small horde of zombies were approaching the still dimly lit building.

Chanyeol sighed. He jumped out of his car and ran over to where they had left the larger guns, running back to Baekhyun, and thrusting his gun back into his hands. He immediately turned and fired on the lumbering group.

“You…are…ruining…our…first…date!” Chanyeol yelled, punctuating each word with a gunshot to a zombie’s head. 

Baekhyun joined in and the group was quickly decimated. But the night was no longer still and calm, he could hear the slow drag of feet on gravel nearby and the repulsive snarling grunts that always made his blood run cold.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” he said to Chanyeol, who to his relief clearly agreed.

They leapt off the side of the ride and ran back onto the main walkway, guns raised and torches lit. Baekhyun shot a few times at some movement in the darkness but they didn’t stop running till they were through the arch and back out into the deserted car park.

“You can drive,” said Baekhyun and he tossed the car keys to Chanyeol. He didn’t want to stall the car at a time like this.

Chanyeol caught the keys happily and unlocked the car.

They jumped in quickly. Chanyeol took off his rifle and tossed it in the backseat. Baekhyun kept his on, squeezing the pistol grip nervously, he was eager to get moving. Chanyeol started up the car and backed out of the car park and into the narrow street beyond, the tires squealing loudly as he accelerated.

The road ahead of them was clear and unblocked. Baekhyun glanced back in the mirror, no one appeared to be following them either.

Now the adrenaline was wearing off Baekhyun was starting to feel self-conscious about his enthusiastic participation in that last kiss. He turned to the side window and awkwardly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Chanyeol seemed blissfully unaware of Baekhyun's awkwardness. He was smiling so contentedly that Baekhyun half expected him to break into song as he drove.

Baekhyun ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed out the window, thinking about how Chanyeol had said he wanted this car for going on dates. An intrusive thought had occurred to him. He had never before doubted Chanyeol’s attraction for him but what if he had just been desperate to date someone, anyone. He knew Chanyeol had been alone for a long time, was he just interested in him because he was there? This thought seemed to rattle around his head getting bigger and louder and making him feel even more self-conscious. When they reached the warehouse, he left the large gun on the seat and got out of the car quickly.

He dithered uncertainly for a second while Chanyeol also got out, unsure why he was waiting for him or what he would do now.

Chanyeol came over to him and Baekhyun, suddenly keen to get away from him, turned quickly towards the elevator. Before he took more than two steps Chanyeol had gripped his left arm and pulled him back towards him.

“Thank you for letting me take you out. I had a lot of fun,” Chanyeol said sincerely, watching Baekhyun, apparently oblivious to his awkwardness. He raised a hand and placed it on Baekhyun’s right shoulder.

“Do you only like me because I'm here?” Baekhyun asked suddenly, voicing his concern almost involuntarily because it felt like it had taken over his whole being. As soon as the words were out, he pressed his eyes shut, wishing he hadn’t said anything. What good would it do to hear it?

“Here?” asked Chanyeol, sounding confused. “Well, I couldn't like you if you weren't here, we wouldn’t have met.”

Baekhyun opened his eyes, stepping back to shake off Chanyeol’s grip. “No, I mean...would you have liked anyone who you found and who stayed with you?”

“What?! Where would you get that idea from?” asked Chanyeol, looking genuinely surprised. “You know you're not the only person one found, right?” he asked. “I’ve rescued like 6 or 7 people at least but you’re the only one I've let into my home. You really think I only like you because you're here?”

Baekhyun shrugged and crossed his arms self-consciously.

“I like you because you're amazing,” said Chanyeol, earnestly. “You’re funny and smart and really mean and—"

“You like me because I'm mean?!” interrupted Baekhyun, horrified.

“Hey, I like what I like,” laughed Chanyeol, “I can’t explain it. And you’re really just _so_ sexy,” he added with emphasis. “Seriously the faces you make when you're annoyed at me.”

Baekhyun scowled involuntarily.

“Yes, that face!” said Chanyeol, pointing excitedly. “Like everything you do is such a turn on for me. God the way you flip your hair—"

“You’re really not getting over that any time soon, are you?”

“--and oh, your body, I just---"

“Ok, ok, stop talking!” exclaimed Baekhyun. “I get it. I believe you. You’re disgustingly into me.”

“This is going to sound crazy,” said Chanyeol slowly.

“Everything you say sounds crazy,” muttered Baekhyun.

“But I liked you from the second you got out of that trunk and yelled at me for saving you,” continued Chanyeol with a fond smile.

Baekhyun scoffed loudly, but he had a sudden intense urge to laugh happily, he pursed his lips to keep from smiling.

“Ok, my turn,” said Chanyeol gleefully, “Why do you like me?”

“I don’t like you,” said Baekhyun immediately, but he thought about the way Chanyeol smiled at him, how excited he got over his ridiculous plans, about how careful and gentle he was with him and also just for a second he considered how good Chanyeol had looked wearing only a towel.

He watched Chanyeol turn his face away from him to try to hide his obvious disappointment.

“Fine,” exclaimed Baekhyun, rolling his eyes. “I like you, alright? I don’t know why I like you. I probably shouldn’t. I guess it’s just that you’re… well, you’re…like no one else.”

Chanyeol looked back quickly and gave him one of his huge, brilliant smiles.

“That wasn't a compliment, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun exclaimed defensively. “I'm saying you are one-of-a-kind level crazy!...but just…in quite... a charming way,” he added haltingly.

Chanyeol frowned.

“ _That_ actually was a compliment,” prompted Baekhyun.

“Oh, ok,” said Chanyeol, looking relieved he smiled again. “You’re crazy too.”

“That wasn't the compliment part!” yelled Baekhyun. “I said you were charming.”

“Oh, well, you’re charming too,” said Chanyeol, giving him another deeply fond smile. “In an I-will-fuck-you-up kind of way. And that's my favourite kind of charming.”

Baekhyun sighed. “So, what I'm getting from all this is you won't like me if I'm nice to you?”

“Nah, I think I'd like that too. I like everything you do,” said Chanyeol warmly.

Baekhyun couldn’t think of anything to say in reply to that, he rubbed the back of his neck and said eventually, “I want to go to bed.”

“Ok!” said Chanyeol enthusiastically. He slid an arm around Baekhyun’s waist.

Baekhyun pushed him off. “Not like that! I want to sleep!”

Chanyeol laughed. “I know. I’m just teasing. You can go up first, I want to put away the weapons.”

Baekhyun undid the belt buckle that was holding the gun holster on and handed it to Chanyeol.

“What about the knife?” Chanyeol asked, pointing at Baekhyun’s thigh.

“That’s mine!” protested Baekhyun.

“I know, but you can keep it down here,” said Chanyeol. “You don’t need it in bed.”

“I might need it,” said Baekhyun meaningfully.

“Stop being so nervous around me,” chided Chanyeol. “You know I’ll be gentle with you,” he added with a playful smirk.

“I think you should be more worried about whether I’ll be gentle with you,” hissed Baekhyun.

Chanyeol grinned and leant in. “What if I said I didn’t mind?”

“Do you think it’s smart to annoy me like this while I’ve still got the knife?” replied Baekhyun.

“So, you are going to give me the knife then?” said Chanyeol triumphantly, holding out his hand for it.

Baekhyun sighed. “Alright, you can take it,” he said, making no move to remove the knife.

Chanyeol shook his head and made a sucking noise with his teeth. “If that’s how you want to play this, then alright.” He knelt down and ran his hands slowly up Baekhyun’s right leg, keeping eye contact with Baekhyun who was looking down and watching him closely.

Chanyeol slid his fingers between Baekhyun’s thighs feeling for the strap’s adjustable buckle. He found it and made slow work of loosening it, the fingers pressing quite unnecessarily into the warm firm flesh of Baekhyun’s leg.

Baekhyun bit the inside of his lip, attempting to keep his breathing even and his mouth closed, his eyes locked on Chanyeol’s.

Finally, Chanyeol pulled the strap down his leg and he raised his foot slightly so Chanyeol could remove it entirely.

“Thank you,” breathed Chanyeol smirking as he straightened. Then he ruined it by saying, “That was really hot!” excitedly to him.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes then turned and walked quickly but not too quickly towards the elevator, as soon as he was inside, he punched the up button repeatedly. When the doors opened, he leapt out and ran into the bedroom, kicking his shoes off and taking off his tracksuit jacket before jumping into bed in his track pants and t-shirt. His plan was to fall asleep before Chanyeol came up and then he wouldn’t need to see him. He felt embarrassed about the confession, about the kisses at the fun park and about what had just happened downstairs but most of all he was deeply mortified by how much he really, truly enjoyed Chanyeol’s ridiculous flirting. 

He felt out of practise when it came to dating. There had been no one of the right age and gender to even be attracted to at the commune. His last real boyfriend had been in high school and even then, he didn’t remember feeling like this. He felt like he was letting things go too far and he didn’t like the idea of losing control. Chanyeol made him feel uncomfortably reckless and yet elated all at once.

His lips had retained the memory of kissing Chanyeol, of his mouth against his, his taste, his warmth. Maybe it was worth feeling out of control?

He sighed, there was no way he’d get to sleep thinking about this stuff. Though the ceiling light was off the moonlight streamed in through the high windows above the bed, casting the room in cold half-light. He tried to clear his mind so he could sleep but seconds later he heard the familiar mechanical whirring noises of the lift ascending.

He pressed his eyes closed and decided to pretend to be asleep instead.

He heard Chanyeol come quietly into the dark room, the sound of him slipping off his shoes and the soft thud of his hoodie dropping onto the floor, then the feel of the bed moving as he climbed on. Baekhyun could tell that he was close by.

“Are you asleep?” whispered Chanyeol.

Baekhyun kept feigning sleep and did not answer.

Chanyeol climbed under the covers and to Baekhyun’s irritation hugged him close, wrapping his arms around him tightly and tangling his legs with him.

Chanyeol gripped him even closer and Baekhyun exclaimed in annoyance forgetting he was supposed to be asleep, “Stop squeezing me! It’s like sleeping with a boa constrictor!” He shoved Chanyeol off him.

“I knew you weren’t asleep!” said Chanyeol.

“I was,” lied Baekhyun. “You woke me up by giving me internal bleeding.”

Chanyeol laughed. “I’m sorry. I won’t squeeze so hard, I promise.”

Baekhyun didn’t say anything but he let Chanyeol wrap his arms around him again, more loosely this time. He sank slowly into the embrace. It was surprisingly comfortable.

He closed his eyes and his mind wandered straight back to the way Chanyeol had kissed him at the fun park. Soft and sweet but with thinly veiled desperation. There had been an intensity about Chanyeol then and he wondered what he would have to do to bring it out again.

The more he thought about it the more he could feel his body reacting. He suddenly became much more aware of how close their bodies were, how Chanyeol’s arms were wrapped around him, how warm and firm he felt was under his hands, his thighs against his, his face close to Chanyeol’s hair so he could smell his shampoo and his own natural scent, both very familiar now.

He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't believe he was getting turned on just thinking about Chanyeol just lying there. He hoped Chanyeol hadn’t noticed, their bodies were pressed so closely together. And then he found himself hoping Chanyeol would notice. He squirmed; he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Chanyeol?” he whispered, his voice low and urgent. 

“Hmm?” replied Chanyeol, sleepily. 

“Kiss me goodnight,” he said, firmly. 

He thought he could actually hear Chanyeol’s surprise, it was so palpable, it filled the dim, silent room.

“Chan---” he started to say again before Chanyeol found his face in the dark, holding his cheeks with both hands and kissing him gently. His soft lips pressing his in a series of feathery light touches. He could tell Chanyeol was holding back trying to be calm and gentle. He didn't want that. 

Chanyeol pulled back slightly, his lips still close and whispered, “Good night, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun threw his arms around Chanyeol’s shoulders, gripping his back as he made to retreat and pulling him down roughly on top of him instead. He captured Chanyeol’s lips in a hard kiss. Chanyeol gave a half gasp of surprise then kissed him back with all the passionate desperation Baekhyun had sensed was surging below the surface. Baekhyun let Chanyeol explore his mouth, let him angle his head back and deepen the kiss which was rough and urgent now. Baekhyun shuddered involuntarily as Chanyeol’s calloused hands caressed him. 

Chanyeol had his whole weight against him, without thinking Baekhyun rocked his hips, seeking even more contact. Chanyeol was clearly as turned on as he was. He groaned into his lips and his obvious hardness pressing against his was making Baekhyun feel even more crazy with desire. An urgent noise escaped Baekhyun’s throat and suddenly Chanyeol pulled back, sitting up and looking at him with startled eyes. Baekhyun suspected Chanyeol had mistaken the noise for pain or fear because he gasped out, “I’m sorry.” 

Baekhyun looped his fingers over the front collar of Chanyeol’s t-shirt pulling him in close.

“I'm not,” he said, looking Chanyeol right in the eyes. “Take off your clothes.” 

Chanyeol’s smile was slow to form almost like it didn’t believe what he’d heard.

“Seriously?!”

“Yes,” said Baekhyun, grabbing the bottom of Chanyeol’s t-shirt and tugging it roughly over his head. 

Chanyeol emerged laughing and shaking his hair out of his eyes. He kissed Baekhyun again, savouring his mouth, and using one hand to forcibly tilt Baekhyun’s jaw to delve even deeper. Baekhyun ran his hands over Chanyeol's naked upper body, amazed by the incredible heat that radiated from him. His chest was firm and muscular but 5 or 6 deep scars marred his tanned skin. Baekhyun traced one on Chanyeol’s lower back with his fingers. He decided that one day he’d lay with him here and touch each one and let Chanyeol tell him all his stories. 

“Yours too,” said Chanyeol, pushing up the bottom of Baekhyun’s t-shirt and trailing warm, wet kisses over his stomach. Baekhyun helpfully pulled the t-shirt the rest of the way over his head and dropped it on the floor.

Chanyeol ran his hands up Baekhyun’s chest appreciatively. “Oh god, I love your body,” he said, his mouth against Baekhyun’s right hip. His hot breath against his skin made Baekhyun squirm. 

He wasn't surprised to find Chanyeol was vocal in bed, but he was surprised to find it was such a turn-on for him. 

Chanyeol crawled up the mattress and kissed him on the mouth again. Baekhyun pressed his body into Chanyeol’s, grinding against him and shuddering at the friction the layers of fabric between them created. Chanyeol kissed his neck, sucking his skin hard as he pressed him even further into the bed, moving his hips against Baekhyun’s with increasing desperation. Baekhyun wanted to feel Chanyeol’s skin on his. 

“Seriously, Chanyeol,” he said, shoving Chanyeol in the front of his shoulder to push him back away from his neck. “Why am I still wearing pants?!”

“Sorry!” exclaimed Chanyeol. “I’m on it.”

He sat back and tugged Baekhyun’s pants down his thighs leaving him exposed. There was a pause while he watched Baekhyun, breathing heavily lying mostly naked on the bed in front of him. 

“Oh, you’re perfect,” he said, leaving his lips parted after he spoke.

“Shut up and touch me,” ordered Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol attempted to get Baekhyun’s pants off completely but they stuck on his bent knees. 

“Leave them,” exclaimed Baekhyun, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Just take your pants off, now!”

“You’re so sexy when you’re bossy,” breathed Chanyeol. 

“Chanyeol!” 

Chanyeol didn’t need telling again, he had his track pants off a second later and he threw them across the room. 

Baekhyun peered down at him with interest. He was impressed and pleased but he wasn’t going to say it. He struggled to sit up, needing to touch just as much as he needed to be touched.

They were all desperation now, with hands wanting to be everywhere but mostly just getting in the way. Baekhyun was about to push Chanyeol’s hands away in annoyance when Chanyeol smacked his hands lightly. 

“Get away,” he said, “I’m trying to do something here.”

Baekhyun reluctantly withdrew his hands and let Chanyeol push him back down on the mattress. With one leg between Baekhyun’s thighs he rested against him letting their hard lengths slide against each other. He wrapped one large hand around them both and stroked. The heat and the friction were too much for Baekhyun, he moaned, pressing the heels of his feet into the bed and squirming. 

“The sounds you make are so good,” gasped Chanyeol. He brought his lips close to Baekhyun’s who opened his mouth hungrily and sank into a messy, desperate kiss as Chanyeol increased the speed of his strokes. 

He was already so close, but so was Chanyeol judging by his fast, shallow breathing and his increasingly frantic pace. 

Baekhyun surrendered to the moment of blissful oblivion, cumming with welcome release on his own stomach. He lay back, breathing hard and feeling deeply, wonderfully satisfied as he watched Chanyeol through heavy lids. Chanyeol sat up, stroking himself fervently. Baekhyun thought he’d never looked better as he pressed his eyes tightly shut, his body shuddering and he came on Baekhyun’s lower stomach. 

Chanyeol flopped down on the bed next to him. He rolled over to kiss the nearest part of Baekhyun, his right shoulder, gently. 

Baekhyun closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep, he could feel a wave of it trying to carry him away, but he was all damp and sticky with cum. Reluctantly he sat up. Chanyeol’s eyes were closed, but he opened them suddenly when Baekhyun swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Chanyeol asked, his voice sounded frantic and he sat up quickly. Baekhyun looked back at him surprised to see how wide and startled his eyes looked.

“I was just going to get a towel or something, I’ve got your jizz all over me,” he said. 

“Oh,” said Chanyeol, and the small utterance conveyed so much relief that Baekhyun felt a pang in the bottom of his stomach as he realised Chanyeol must have thought he was leaving. 

“I’ll get it,” said Chanyeol quickly, scrambling off the bed. He pushed Baekhyun back down on the mattress. 

Chanyeol came back a few minutes later with a damp towel. Ordinarily, Baekhyun would definitely have snatched that towel off Chanyeol, but he was suddenly very concerned about doing anything that could be interpreted as a rejection. He let Chanyeol wipe him clean. Chanyeol lingered once he was done, he held the waistband of Baekhyun’s track pants, still bunched up around his knees. 

“Pants on or off?” he asked, tugging the fabric gently. 

“Off,” said Baekhyun firmly. He straightened out his legs to help and Chanyeol succeeded in pulling the pants off. Baekhyun could see he was smiling softly to himself. 

Chanyeol threw himself back down on the bed with Baekhyun. 

“Can I hold you?”

“Yeah,” said Baekhyun, wriggling back into Chanyeol’s arms a little self-consciously. 

Chanyeol stroked his hair. 

“Hold me,” Chanyeol urged.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Tighter, please.”

“Are you still not convinced I’m real? I let you cum on me!”

“The fact that you’re so perfect only makes me less sure that you’re real,” said Chanyeol, “but real or not I _really_ love cumming on you.” 

“Shut up, I’m trying to sleep,” replied Baekhyun. 

“The sounds you make drive me crazy.”

“You were already crazy when I met you, and I'm surprised you could even hear me over your incessant chatter,” shot back Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol laughed softly, clearly not offended at all. “I think you like it,” he teased.

Baekhyun scoffed audibly.

“Because you like _me_ ,” continued Chanyeol. 

Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol off him and sat up. “Where are my pants?” he exclaimed. 

“No, I’m sorry, I’m being quiet, see. Lie back down, please,” Chanyeol said quickly, clutching at his arm desperately.

Baekhyun let him guide him back down on the bed and accepted a warm kiss on the mouth without resistance.

“Good night, Baekhyunnie,” whispered Chanyeol.

“You really know how to piss me off.”

“Stop talking like that or I’ll get hard again,” said Chanyeol teasingly.

Baekhyun made a pfft noise with his teeth. “Good night, Chanyeol,” he said, letting his eyes close at last. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, that escalated…I’m going to run away and hide now.


	7. Chapter 7

Baekhyun awoke slowly, he was comfortable and warm, and he tried to cling onto sleep, by pressing his eyes tightly closed, even as it slipped away from him. He reluctantly opened his eyes to the bright sunshine-filled room. Chanyeol was laying next to him, his arms still around him, his large brown eyes, open and watching him.

Baekhyun quickly closed his eyes again, suddenly embarrassed and very aware he was naked under the sheets.

Chanyeol laughed and Baekhyun was sure he was leaning in, examining his face closely.

“Are you pretending to be asleep again?”

“No,” denied Baekhyun immediately, “I was just blinking.” He opened his eyes then blinked very slowly and deliberately. “It’s too bright in here.”

“Yeah, I never got around to finding curtains,” said Chanyeol, he stretched out an arm in front of him, the sun making his golden skin look luminescent.

He turned back to Baekhyun suddenly. “Hey, would you be embarrassed if I said thank you for last night?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Baekhyun, sitting up quickly.

“Ok,” said Chanyeol, and Baekhyun relaxed slightly before Chanyeol suddenly continued, “I'll say it really fast then, so the embarrassment is over quickly. Thank--” Baekhyun slammed a hand over Chanyeol’s mouth and they struggled rolling around on the bed until Baekhyun succeeded in pushing Chanyeol down on his back, his arms pinned by his sides.

“Ok, ok, I won't say it!” laughed Chanyeol. “I'm just going to look you in the eyes and think it. Ok?” he added, looking straight into Baekhyun eyes with his soft, earnest gaze.

“No! That’s even more embarrassing!” exclaimed Baekhyun, he released Chanyeol, rolling over immediately to press his face into the pillows.

He felt Chanyeol lean over him but Chanyeol didn’t say anything or laugh and after a minute his warm breath tickled Baekhyun’s right ear as he sighed gently.

“If it’s so embarrassing… I mean, if you want to, we can...just forget it ever happened,” he whispered haltingly.

Baekhyun froze for a second then lifted his head and rolled back over to face Chanyeol. He knew he wasn’t talking about forgetting what he’d just said or tried to say.

Chanyeol was biting his lip, and as Baekhyun watched his gaze seemed to slide nervously off Baekhyun’s to look down at his hands instead. Baekhyun didn’t feel quite as embarrassed anymore. In fact, he had the strangest desire to kiss Chanyeol’s bitten and puffy bottom lip.

“It happened,” said Baekhyun firmly. “And if you stop pissing me off all the time…it might happen again.”

Chanyeol lifted his head quickly, his bottom lip escaped his teeth and curved instantly into a smile.

“I said might!” exclaimed Baekhyun, but he let Chanyeol push him down onto the bed. He kissed him, softly and lazily and Baekhyun felt like he was sinking right into the mattress.

“C’mon I want to show you something!” exclaimed Chanyeol excitedly, pulling back and sitting up suddenly.

“I've already seen it,” said Baekhyun, glancing down.

Chanyeol laughed. “Not that! C’mon get up.”

He jumped off the bed.

“I thought maybe we could…” began Baekhyun quietly but he trailed off as Chanyeol clearly hadn’t heard him, he had found his tracksuit pants and was pulling them on.

Baekhyun was a little disappointed but it was a feeling he had no interest in exploring.

He watched Chanyeol pull on his t-shirt.

“Chuck me my pants,” he said.

Chanyeol looked around then bent down and scooped them up off the floor.

“What? These?” he said playfully. “Come and get them.” He held them up away from the bed.

Baekhyun threw a pillow at him but he dodged, and it hit the wall instead.

“Give me my pants now or I will never take them off in front of you again,” threatened Baekhyun.

“Alright, alright,” said Chanyeol. “And because I’m so nice I’ll even put them on for you!” He jumped back onto the bed and tried to pull the bedsheets off Baekhyun. Baekhyun held on tightly to the sheets. They struggled until with well-timed kick from under the sheets, Baekhyun managed to knock Chanyeol right off the bed. Chanyeol hit the floor laughing then groaned so much and so loudly that Baekhyun felt bad and quickly crawled over to the edge and peered down at him.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

“I fell on one of your shoes,” whined Chanyeol, rubbing his back, “It really—” he stopped mid-sentence and reached under the bed to pull something out and exclaimed excitedly, “Oh that’s where I left this?!”

He was holding up another of the now familiar looking tin can devices.

“Is that a bomb?!” exclaimed Baekhyun, sitting up quickly.

“You keep asking me that! I don’t know what you think bombs actually look like.”

“So, it’s not a bomb?” replied Baekhyun, feeling relieved.

“Oh, no, it is,” said Chanyeol.

“Park Chanyeol, are you telling me I’ve been sleeping on a bed with a bomb underneath for the last 2 days?!”

Chanyeol scrambled up, holding the bomb behind him and backing away towards the door.

“It’s not a very big one!”

“Is it big enough to blow up a bed?!” yelled Baekhyun.

Chanyeol opened his mouth then closed it, paused and said quietly, “I don’t think I should answer that.” He turned and ran out of the room calling after him, “I’m going to take it downstairs.”

Baekhyun waited till he heard the elevator going down then wriggled into his track pants and climbed out of bed. He looked around, finally finding his t-shirt in a corner. He pulled it on, slipped on his slightly squashed shoes and walked down the hall. He glanced around him at the still and quiet room, the sunlight was here too pouring through the curtainless windows, making solid rectangles of bright warmth on the floor and walls. Everything was peaceful and he had a disturbing feeling that this was the quiet before the storm. Chanyeol hadn’t come back up and he decided to put on the rice cooker before going downstairs to find him. Whatever horrible mission Chanyeol had planned for them today he knew he’d feel better about it after eating.

When the elevator doors opened on the dark warehouse it was just as quiet as upstairs had been. Baekhyun wandered over to the wall of weapons but Chanyeol wasn’t there. He found his thigh knife on the bench and reattached it then walked across the warehouse past the 2 parked cars and through the division in the wall to the workshop beyond.

“There you are!” exclaimed Chanyeol, jumping up from the workbench he’d been sitting at and running over. He seemed to have forgotten entirely that Baekhyun was annoyed with him. Everything from his bright eyes, big smile and restless movements showed him to be extremely excited about something. Baekhyun took this as an extremely bad sign.

“Come through here, I want to talk to you about something,” Chanyeol said, clasping one of Baekhyun’s hands in his and pulling him through to the second room, where the Mercedes had been yesterday. From there he took him through another division in the wall into a dark space beyond.

“Ok, so here’s the thing,” began Chanyeol.

“Ah, Chanyeol?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you turn on a light?” asked Baekhyun.

“Oh, ok yeah sure,” said Chanyeol, as if he hadn’t noticed the darkness in his excitement. He guided Baekhyun onto a stool and then disappeared into the gloom. A second later light filled the space from a single bare bulb above, revealing yet another windowless space. This one had a large table in the middle covered with pieces of paper. Chanyeol sat down on a stool on the other side of the table and continued his speech.

Baekhyun had the feeling he’d thought a lot of about what he had to say, and that didn’t make him any less anxious.

“So here’s the thing, I was lucky at the start of all this to get together a good store of weapons and ammo but it’s pretty much impossible to find those things now with so many rebel groups active in the city. So, for every bit of ammo we use, we’re not going to find anymore and sooner or later…we are going to run out completely.”

He paused as if to let his words sink in. Baekhyun had known of course that their food supplies would run out eventually, but he hadn’t even thought about ammunition.

“And then either the rebels or the zombies will get us?” Baekhyun asked blandly.

“Or the army,” added Chanyeol. “I blew up an army base last month. I'm pretty sure I'm on a list now.”

Baekhyun sighed. “Great.”

“But don't worry I've got a plan!” exclaimed Chanyeol, the slightly manic excited gleam coming into his eyes again.

“Coming from you that phrase is more alarming than comforting,” muttered Baekhyun.

“Nah it's a good one I promise. I've been working on it for ages because even before I was concerned about the ammo, I figured I’d have to leave eventually when the city was overrun by crazy rebel groups.”

“Like you?” interrupted Baekhyun.

“I'm not a group!”

“You’re not denying the crazy part I see?”

“Do you want to hear the plan or not?”

“I do not.”

Chanyeol folded in his hands in his lap and looked surprisingly hurt.

“Alright fine, stop giving me that puppy dog look! What’s the plan?” asked Baekhyun irritably.

Chanyeol smiled sitting up straight and bumping his stool in closer to the table.

“Ok, so we need to get out of the city while we still have enough ammo to defend ourselves and go somewhere where I can be self-sufficient. I've been raiding hardware stores and getting supplies to grow food and keep animals for ages now. And I’ve been thinking,” he broke off and slid a large A3 map of South Korea out of a pile of papers and pulled it towards them. He pointed at it.

Baekhyun stared. “You want to take over the whole country?!”

“No! I’m pointing here,” said Chanyeol, pointing at something off the coast.

Baekhyun squinted, it looked like a small island.

“This island is perfect because it's only connected to the mainland by a bridge, so I thought we could just--“

“Oh, here we go,” muttered Baekhyun warily.

“-blow up the bridge!” continued Chanyeol happily, ignoring him.

“How did I know you were going to say that?” Baekhyun looked at the map. “Chanyeol, I’m sure this whole area is already overrun by zombies, I heard it on the radio before the broadcasts stopped.”

“I know, but I have a plan for that too!”

“Let me guess,” said Baekhyun, rolling his eyes.

“Nope! I’m not talking about a bomb... if I blow them up the island will be ruined it's another plan entirely.”

“Which you're not going to tell me about?” hazarded Baekhyun, his eyes narrowed.

"Not yet. But I will later,” said Chanyeol mysteriously.

“Not good enough, tell me the full plan now,” insisted Baekhyun. He didn’t want any surprise additions like abseiling off radio towers again.

“Nope, you don’t need to know now. I’ll tell you later on. Don’t you trust me?” asked Chanyeol, his big eyes fixing Baekhyun’s with an earnest gaze. 

“Why on earth would I trust you?!”

“When have I ever been wrong?”

“You thought I was a vampire!”

“You were rolling around in the sun screaming I think I was justified,” said Chanyeol matter-of-factly. “Look, don’t worry about the plan yet, it’s fine. My plans always work,” he continued, then gave Baekhyun a smirk. “I mean the plan to get you into bed worked didn’t it?”

“I attribute that more to my head injury than anything else,” said Baekhyun tartly.

Chanyeol looked shocked, he jumped up and ran around to where Baekhyun sat. “What head injury?!” he asked. He had grabbed Baekhyun and began running his fingers through his hair feeling his head before Baekhyun could even answer.

Baekhyun struggled to push him off. “It’s nothing, I was exaggerating. I hit my head on the car door yesterday that’s all.”

“Where?” asked Chanyeol, still not letting go.

Baekhyun guided his hands to a slight bump on the left side of his head. “See it’s not a big deal.”

Chanyeol let out an enormous sigh of relief and finally released Baekhyun’s head. “You have to tell me this stuff!” he said, and Baekhyun was surprised to hear he sounded almost angry. “Head injuries can be really dangerous. Even if it seems like a small injury, you have to tell me, ok?”

“Ok,” agreed Baekhyun. “I’m sorry. If it happens again, I’ll tell you.” On a sudden impulse, he reached out and squeezed Chanyeol’s left arm.

Chanyeol seemed to be mollified. He looked down at Baekhyun’s hand, then slid his arm up suddenly taking Baekhyun’s hand in his own and pulling him off his stool.

“Come on, I’ll show you what I’ve done so far,” he said, and he led Baekhyun back through to the room where the Mercedes had been parked yesterday. It still contained a trailer.

He walked over and opened it. Inside was neatly packed with boxes.

“I’ve got all the garden stuff and most of the food. We just need to pack up anything else we want from upstairs, the guns, and the solar panels from the roof,” he explained. Showing Baekhyun a long list on a clipboard hanging from the trailer with checkmarks next to most items already.

“Won't you need to double your supplies since there's two of us now?” asked Baekhyun, glancing at the list.

“I already have enough for two,” said Chanyeol.

“Were you just waiting for someone to come along?” asked Baekhyun, suspecting this was true.

“No, I was waiting for you!” said Chanyeol without missing a beat.

Baekhyun frowned. “Oh, no this is the bit where you tell me that you saw me in a dream, or something isn’t it?” he said cringing.

Chanyeol laughed. “No, it's nothing like that. I just knew I was waiting for my soulmate and after yesterday I know that it's you,” he said happily, poking Baekhyun in the chest.

“You think I'm your soulmate because I let you get to 3rd base?!” asked Baekhyun incredulously.

“No, I meant because of the mission...wait is that 3rd base?”

“Yeah, 1st base is kissing, 2nd is touching above the waist, 3rd is touching below the waist.”

“No, I think you’re wrong there. 1st base is kissing, 2nd base is hand jobs. Anyway, we’re getting off-topic. I knew you were the one since yesterday when we were doing the mission. We didn't even need to talk; we just both knew exactly what to do. We're the perfect team because…we’re…?” he looked expectantly and waved his hands back and forth between them trying to prompt Baekhyun. 

“Soulmates?” Baekhyun reluctantly supplied.

“Yes!”

“Chanyeol, I don’t even believe in soulmates,” said Baekhyun.

“That doesn’t matter, our souls believe in each other,” laughed Chanyeol happily.

Baekhyun let out an exasperated breath and looked up at the dark ceiling. “You are so lucky I haven’t eaten anything today or I’d be vomiting all over you right now! Soulmates do not exist! And even if they did, then I’m not yours. I don’t want a soulmate who is completely crazy!”

Chanyeol looked amused. “Too bad,” he said, “If I have to have a crazy soulmate so do you.”

“I'm not crazy!”

“Well you're not exactly sane!” said Chanyeol, putting his hands on his hips.

“Excuse me? Mr blows-up-zombie-filled-radio-towers!”

“Hey, you came with me and did that too! Voluntarily!” pointed out Chanyeol. “And you let me take you to an abandoned fun park in the middle of the night! and you got the trunk of a very weird stranger’s car! Define crazy for me!”

Baekhyun was about to yell back when the full weight of Chanyeol’s words settled upon him. He couldn’t dispute any of those things. His lips felt dry all of a sudden and he licked them absently.

“Oh my god,” he said quietly, more to himself than Chanyeol. “I am crazy.” 

Chanyeol seemed to feel he'd been too harsh. “Look I wouldn’t be too upset about it. I mean the whole world has gone crazy in case you haven't noticed.”

“I don’t want to be crazy,” Baekhyun muttered half-heartedly.

“Oh, c’mon it’s more fun this way, isn’t it?” laughed Chanyeol, he grabbed Baekhyun’s hands and swung him around.

“What are you doing?” asked Baekhyun, laughing despite himself he let Chanyeol pull him into a tight hug. Chanyeol tilted his chin up gently with one hand and kissed him softly on the mouth.

Maybe it really wasn’t possible to live the way they did and still be completely sane? At least he felt confident he was marginally saner than Chanyeol was.

“And as your soulmate, I would be happy to show you what 3rd base actually looks like any time you like,” said Chanyeol, looking into his eyes and clearly trying not to laugh.

Baekhyun smacked him on the arm but as Chanyeol dodged away from him laughing, Baekhyun grabbed him pulling back in and kissing him again. Chanyeol seemed surprised he gasped into Baekhyun’s lips before kissing him back enthusiastically.

“Oh, you want to get to 3rd now?” he whispered into Baekhyun’s lips with a small gleeful laugh.

“No, I just…I just wanted to kiss you,” admitted Baekhyun. If he was going to be crazy with anyone, he was glad it was with Chanyeol. “I’ll make a deal with you; I’ll stop teasing you about being crazy if you stop teasing me.”

“No way, why would I agree to that? I love it when you tease me!”

“You’re insane,” said Baekhyun, shaking his head.

“Now you’re just trying to get me to kiss you again,” laughed Chanyeol.

“I am not. C’mon, shouldn’t we be packing?”

“Yeah, I guess. Let’s do the guns first,” Chanyeol said, and they left the room and traipsed through the warehouse to the weapons wall. Chanyeol pulled out some large padded holdalls, instructed Baekhyun to make sure the safety switches were on before he packed each gun then left him to go pack up his downstairs workshop.

Baekhyun didn’t like to think what Chanyeol was packing from in there, he suspected that was where all the explosives were. He put all the guns and ammo he could find into the bags and Chanyeol returned 20 minutes later when he was struggling to carry two of the large bags to the car.

“Baekhyunnie,” Chanyeol said running up and trying to get Baekhyun’s attention so he could take one of the heavy bags off him.

Baekhyun ignored him and kept walking on.

“Baekhyunnie,” he called again. “Baekhyunnie!”

When Baekhyun continued to ignore him he paused and said, “Baekhyun-”

“Yes,” said Baekhyun swivelling to face him as quickly as the heavy bags would allow.

“-nieeee,” continued Chanyeol.

Baekhyun dropped the bags and unsheathed his thigh knife in one fluid movement.

“It was a mistake giving you that, wasn't it?” observed Chanyeol.

“Yes.”

Chanyeol laughed and grabbed the nearest bag, hauling it off to the car before Baekhyun could stop him.

Once they’d put all the bags into the back of the car and were heading back across the warehouse to grab more, Baekhyun asked, “Why did you pick that particular island anyway? Wouldn’t it be better to go for one of the uninhabited ones off the coast with no connection to the mainland?” He knew that there were a lot of small islands much more secluded than the one Chanyeol chose. “Or did you just want to blow up a bridge?” he added rolling his eyes.

“The bridge is obviously a perk,” said Chanyeol, with a happy smile.” But we need an island that's been inhabited at some point. We can only bring so much stuff with us, but if people lived on the island at some point there should still be water tanks, old generators, houses etc I can work with that.”

Judging by what Baekhyun had seen of Chanyeol’s handiwork with the plumbing and electricity arrangements in the warehouse he believed him. It was a relief to know they would probably end up with a fairly comfortable home on the island too with a bit of work.

When all the gun bags were in the back of the Mercedes, they went upstairs and Chanyeol suggested they eat something before continuing their packing.

“I put the rice on ages ago, so it should be ready,” said Baekhyun, as they went into the kitchen.

“What do you want with your rice?” asked Chanyeol, opening the cupboard under the sink.

“Tuna!” replied Baekhyun immediately.

When they sat down a few minutes later each with a bowl of rice and tuna, Chanyeol said, “I’m on to you.”

“Hmm?” asked Baekhyun, through a mouthful of food.

“You’re planning to eat all my tuna and then you’ll leave me, that’s it isn’t it?” said Chanyeol playfully.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“On how easily you can get me more tuna,” said Baekhyun with a laugh. “Wait we are packing all the tuna, right?!”

“Yes,” Chanyeol reassured him. “But you know we’ll be on an island. Maybe I can build a boat and then we can go fishing for fresh fish?!” He brightened noticeably.

“It’s an island, I’m sure there will be already built boats around for us to use,” replied Baekhyun, shoving in another mouthful of tuna.

“That’s no fun, I want to build it myself. And oh, maybe I could mount some guns on it or lasers! I could use lasers to shoot fish! That’s a thing, right?” he rambled excitedly, his spoon halfway to his mouth and clearly forgotten about.

“No, that’s not a thing! Bombs are bad enough I don’t want you fucking around with lasers too!”

“That’s alright, I mean fishing with explosives is definitely a thing, I can do that,” said Chanyeol, though he sounded a little disappointed.

“I’m going to barricade my half of the island off from yours with tuna cans,” muttered Baekhyun.

“That's fine with the amount of tuna you eat I'll be able to see over the wall in only a couple of weeks,” laughed Chanyeol.

“Shut up and eat,” ordered Baekhyun, pointing his spoon at him.

When they were done Baekhyun hesitated near the sink with their used bowls and cutlery.

“There’s no point in washing them,” said Chanyeol. “We’ll only take a couple of bowls and things with us because I’m sure we’ll find more on the island.”

“Chuck them out the window?” suggested Baekhyun and Chanyeol nodded his agreement.

Baekhyun opened the window and tossed the bowls out, watching them fall quickly and disappear amongst the piles of debris below. He felt suddenly a little bit sad. The island seemed like a good idea, but it was a major adjustment to his expectations. He had pictured himself staying at the warehouse, being safe and comfortable and getting the rooftop garden up and running in spring. He was sick of running around, he wanted to stay a bit longer but he was scared that if he told Chanyeol that, Chanyeol would agree and then if those rebels or the army came after them and they ran out of ammo, he shuddered at the thought. The island plan felt like a gamble, but it might just pay off if they could get there safely. He pictured Chanyeol on his monstrous boat creation and himself eating fresh fish every night and smiled despite himself.

He went back into the kitchen and watched as Chanyeol pulled a roll of garbage bags out of one of the cupboards. Chanyeol handed it to Baekhyun.

“Alright you do the clothes and I'll pack up the kitchen stuff and the solar panels,” he said, immediately opening the rest of the cupboards and crouching down to look inside.

“Ok,” agreed Baekhyun, “but Chanyeol, I'm only going to pack clothes that would fit one or other of us.” He had been thinking about it and he knew it was time for Chanyeol to let go of all those different sized, shaped and gendered clothes he’d been holding onto all this time. He didn’t need to bring all that misplaced guilt with him.

Chanyeol looked up at him, then stood up laboriously. “Alright fine, I'll do the clothes you can do the kitchen. But don’t just pack the tuna!”

Chanyeol walked down the hall and into the clothes room, Baekhyun following quickly behind. Chanyeol tried to take the bag roll from Baekhyun, but Baekhyun held on.

Chanyeol tugged the roll a few times then let his hand drop. He sighed. “You think I'm crazy for still holding onto all this stuff,” he said quietly, glancing around at the mounds of clothes.

“I don't think you’re crazy, I _know_ you’re crazy… but not for this.”

Chanyeol almost smiled. “And now you’re going to tell me it wasn't my fault?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, because you know it wasn't,” said Baekhyun, his voice quiet but firm.

Chanyeol sighed again and ran a hand back through his hair. “We knew all of the dangers when we started this, well I mean we thought we did.”

“I won’t throw them out,” promised Baekhyun. “I'll just leave them here.”

“Someone might find them one day,” mused Chanyeol, he seemed to like the idea. “Hey, maybe a group of kids might find this place.” He looked around. “I think I'll leave a note just in case explaining how the plumbing system works!” he said brightly.

“You do that,” said Baekhyun, watching him fondly as he ran excitedly out of the room.

He got to work sorting the clothes into the ones they’d take and the ones they wouldn’t.

It took longer than he’d expected, and he caught sight of Chanyeol several times through the open door carrying boxes to the elevator.

He’d just finished tying up the garbage bags containing the chosen clothes as well as some towels and sheets when Chanyeol appeared in the doorway.

“These need to go in the car,” Baekhyun said, poking the 3 full garbage bags with his shoe. 

Chanyeol pointed at the things draped over Baekhyun’s arm. “What about those?”

“No, these are spare clothes and towels for after we’ve showered,” said Baekhyun.

“Showered? You wanted to shower before we go?” asked Chanyeol looking startled.

“Before I spent god knows how long stuck in a car with you? Yes, of course, I want to shower,” exclaimed Baekhyun.

“ _Oh_ ,” said Chanyeol quietly.

“Chanyeol?” asked Baekhyun.

Chanyeol backed away slightly.

“What does ‘ _Oh’_ mean?! What have you done to the shower?!”

“Nothing to the shower itself!” replied Chanyeol quickly, still backing away. “I just… maybe…I dismantled part of the hot water system. But I can put it back together!”

“Do it! I want one last hot shower before we go on this cross-country death march!”

“It's not cross-country,” said Chanyeol, defensively. “It’s more of a coastal death march.”

“Fix the shower now! Chanyeol!”

“I told you, it’s not the shower it’s the hot wa--” began Chanyeol, then he quelled visibility under the savageness of the glare Baekhyun was giving him. “I’ll fix it now!” he exclaimed, running up the staircase to the roof.

Baekhyun took the garbage bags of clothes to the Mercedes then came back upstairs. He headed up to the roof. Chanyeol was crouching next to the hot water system. When he heard Baekhyun he sprang up quickly, wiping sweat off his brow.

“I fixed it,” he panted. “You can shower now.”

“You look like you need a shower too.”

“I’ll have one before we go.”

“You could have one now,” suggested Baekhyun giving Chanyeol a meaningful look.

Chanyeol seemed confused by the look, he blinked and asked slowly in an offended voice, “Are you trying to tell me that I smell?”

“No, I’m trying to get you to shower with me,” admitted Baekhyun, he let his eyes drift across the rooftop determinedly not looking at Chanyeol now.

“With you?!” exclaimed Chanyeol, he sounded so surprised that Baekhyun felt his cheeks start to burn. He dropped the clothes and towels he was holding and started to push Chanyeol towards the staircase.

“Wait wait! I didn’t even know that was an option! Of course, I want to shower with you!”

“I’ve changed my mind!” yelled Baekhyun over his protests.

“Well change it back, I really want to shower with you!”

“I don’t want to anymore!” exclaimed Baekhyun, but he stopped shoving Chanyeol and stormed off across the roof towards the shower instead, kicking off his shoes.

Chanyeol ran gleefully along behind him. “Can I wash your hair?!”

“No!”

They stayed in the shower for a long time, only emerging again once the water had started to run cold and the skin of their fingers and toes had wrinkled. 

Chanyeol darted across the roof to grab their towels and returned to wrap Baekhyun up tightly. Chanyeol kept giving him, in Baekhyun’s opinion, disgustingly loved-up looks, though he was feeling unaccountably soft himself and he even snatched a towel from Chanyeol and rubbed his hair dry for him much to Chanyeol’s delight.

They pulled on the clothes Baekhyun had put aside for them, though Baekhyun wasn’t happy with his choice of pants. He shifted around uncomfortably.

“I think these are too tight,” he complained. “I’m gonna change them.”

“You can’t, the bags have been packed already,” said Chanyeol. He tilted his head, peering behind Baekhyun. “Besides, I like them, they leave nothing to the imagination. Your thighs are incredible,” he breathed.

“Stop looking at them,” ordered Baekhyun, running downstairs, but he decided not to open the bags and look for more pants after all.

After they checked the upstairs for anything else they wanted to bring, they made sure all windows were closed and then they went downstairs.

Chanyeol drove the Mercedes into the room where the trailer was and Baekhyun helped to hook it up to the back.

He caught sight of a mark on his neck in the reflection of the car’s window. He peered at it in dismay then exclaimed, “Chanyeol, you douchebag!”

“What?” asked Chanyeol, jumping out of the car.

“You left a hickey on my neck!”

“What are you worried the zombies will find out that we’re fucking?!” laughed Chanyeol.

“It hurts,” lied Baekhyun, touching the splotchy mark. In truth, he couldn't feel it at all and hadn't even known it was there till he saw it in the reflection.

“Aw well come here and I'll kiss it better,” said Chanyeol, grabbing him and bending his laughing face towards Baekhyun’s neck.

“No!” shrieked Baekhyun trying to wriggle free.

Chanyeol kissed his lips instead and Baekhyun stopped struggling and let him.

Chanyeol pulled back gently. “Will you give me a hickey? A nice big one!” he asked excitedly.

“Why?”

“I kind of do want the zombies to know we’re fucking. I don’t have anyone to tell and this is big news for me,” explained Chanyeol so earnestly that Baekhyun burst out laughing.

“I’m not giving you a hickey. You’ll have to find some other way to announce your “big news”,” he said, pushing Chanyeol off him.

“Fine I will,” said Chanyeol defiantly then he paused and looked around the bare room. “Are you ready to go?”

Baekhyun looked around also. “It's funny isn't it how in just a couple of hours we’ve packed up our whole life here,” he remarked. 

“Well, not really. I've been mostly packed for ages and your whole life here has only been a few days!”

Baekhyun realised it had only been a few days. “Feels like a lot longer,” he said, with a shrug.

Chanyeol smirked. “Like we've known each other forever? Glad to see you coming around to the whole soulmate thing.”

“I'm not coming around to anything!” snapped Baekhyun. “I just feel like I’ve been taking your shit forever that's all.”

Smirk still firmly in place, Chanyeol whispered, “Soulmates.” Then ran around the side of the car to avoid being hit.

“Do you want to wait in the car?” he asked, “I’ve got to do something before we go.”

“Alright,” said Baekhyun suspiciously. He wandered over to the passenger side and jumped in, watching Chanyeol run through the workroom then back out the side and into the dark warehouse. He heard the Lotus start up and the sound of the electric garage doors opening.

10 minutes later Chanyeol returned on foot with no sign of the Lotus.

“What have you done?” asked Baekhyun in surprise.

“Left the Lotus a couple of blocks away,” panted Chanyeol.

Baekhyun was surprised. “I can't believe you're letting the rebels have your car,” he said in disbelief then a thought occurred to him, “Oh…you put a bomb in it didn't you?” he groaned.

“Yep, it'll go off exactly 12 minutes after they start the ignition. That should lull them into a false sense of confidence,” he said with a satisfied look.

“But you love that car.”

“If I can't have her no one can,” said Chanyeol savagely, turning the key in the Mercedes and starting up the engine.

“Oh, god you're going to blow me up one day, aren't you?” observed Baekhyun miserably from the passenger seat.

“Not intentionally, I’m sure.”

“What am I going to do with you?” muttered Baekhyun.

“Are you asking for suggestions?” asked Chanyeol, one eyebrow raised.

“No!”

They left the warehouse, Baekhyun glanced back over his shoulder at the warehouse but the trailer blocked most of his view. They drove quickly through the debris strewn streets. Baekhyun kept his left hand down beside the seat with his fingers crossed, hoping they would make it out of the city without being noticed and luckily there didn’t seem to be anyone around.

“I just have to do one last thing,” said Chanyeol, braking suddenly, as they reached the outskirts of the city. He picked up a radio receiver from the dashboard, held down a button on the side and tapped the front. A muffled thumping vibrated through the loudspeakers on the roof of the car. He cleared his throat. “Attention Seoul. My boyfriend is smoking hot and he lets me touch him in some very naughty places,” announced Chanyeol.

“Give me that!” yelled Baekhyun, snatching the receiver from his hand. “Attention Seoul,” he announced. “Please disregard the previous announcement, my boyfriend is a dickhead,” he paused, “...he's also kind of hot.”

He regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth because Chanyeol was giving him such a glowing look which so positively radiated happiness that Baekhyun felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“What? I only said _kind of_ hot,” said Baekhyun defensively. “Stop smiling at me like that.”

“You said _boyfriend_ ,” replied Chanyeol and he was grinning so broadly Baekhyun was surprised he could even speak.

“You said it first!” retorted Baekhyun. He threw the receiver down and sat back in his seat with his arms crossed. “How can someone who constantly claims we’re soulmates be so enamoured by me saying boyfriend?” he muttered.

“You said you don't believe in soulmates, but you clearly believe in boyfriends... and I'm yours!” teased Chanyeol.

“You won’t be for long if you keep this up!” threatened Baekhyun. “Oh, just drive, would you?!”

Still smiling widely, Chanyeol accelerated and within minutes they were on a motorway heading south.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ROAD TRIP! ◝(⁰▿⁰)◜


	8. Chapter 8

They drove for a few hours, the landscape quickly changing from urban to rural. Soon they were surrounded on either side of the wide empty motorway by overgrown green fields. Baekhyun remembered the trip to Seoul from Busan in the van and felt uneasy. He felt strangely exposed in the car despite its size and impressive armoury. But being with Chanyeol made him feel marginally more secure. Chanyeol might be crazy but he did seem to know what he was doing most of the time.

“You know, I don’t get why you haven't just joined the army or a rebel group, with your skills I’m sure they'd be happy to have you,” said Baekhyun conversationally, still gazing out the window.

“I don't trust either of them,” exclaimed Chanyeol, “they’re all the same, all they want is power.” He glanced over at Baekhyun and looked back at him, watching a wry smile form as if daring him to laugh. “You know me, I just want a peaceful life.”

“With the occasional explosion?” added Baekhyun raising an eyebrow.

“Is that too much to ask?” laughed Chanyeol.

Baekhyun had had a peaceful life in the commune for a while at least, but it had also been boring. There was no one his age, no one to have fun with, and in the end, Chanyeol was right, it was power struggles that tore the group apart. He liked Chanyeol's idea of a peaceful life, peaceful but not too boring. 

They drove on until Baekhyun’s stomach rumbles could be heard even over the loud engine.

“I’m hungry, can we pull over and make some food soon?”

“When I find a good spot,” said Chanyeol vaguely.

“What do you mean a good spot?! The whole damn motorway is a car park,” exclaimed Baekhyun, gesturing to the many lanes of empty road ahead of them. “There’s no one on it but us!”

“I don’t want to park the car out in the open, just in case. There’ll be a rest stop or somewhere we can pull into eventually,” said Chanyeol casually.

“I’ll die of starvation eventually too,” muttered Baekhyun under his breath. He peered over his shoulder into the back of the car but couldn’t see anything edible within in reach. “Why did you put all the food in the trailer? You should have put some in the car, then we wouldn’t have to stop,” he grumbled.

“You know you could have mentioned that idea at any time during the many hours we were packing together,” observed Chanyeol, his eyes on the road.

“Don’t argue with me when I’m hungry!”

Chanyeol laughed. “Is that your way of saying _never_ argue with you?”

“Yes!”

Chanyeol leaned forward suddenly squinting through the windshield. “Hey look at that!”

Baekhyun looked too. “What? That big building?” he asked. Some way ahead of them on the side of the road was a large rectangular building with a massive car park. It was surrounded on either side by farmland.

“Yeah, it looks like some kind of outlet mall,” Chanyeol said interestedly.

“So?”

“Let’s go in!” exclaimed Chanyeol.

“What? No. What is with you and looting malls?”

“We might find something good. Besides you’re the one who said you wanted to pull over and eat,” pointed out Chanyeol and he drifted the car across several lanes to make sure they didn’t miss the exit.

“Yes, just not somewhere that YouTubers calling themselves ghost-hunters might want to film,” replied Baekhyun sulkily.

“It’s just a mall.”

“An abandoned mall, Chanyeol!”

“In the current climate, would you seriously prefer it wasn’t abandoned?”

“No,” admitted Baekhyun.

“Look we can park the car and make some food and then see how we feel about going in,” suggested Chanyeol.

“We? You’re talking about _you,_ right? I’m not going in there,” said Baekhyun flatly, then he spotted something as they got closer to the building. “Oh, it looks like it’s got a garden centre on the outside!” he said craning his neck to peer through the window at the low structure, he thought he could see rows of dead pot plants.

“So, an abandoned mall is creepy? But an abandoned garden centre is just fine?” asked Chanyeol as they pulled into the huge car park; it was mostly empty except for some cars which looked long since abandoned.

“No one would haunt a garden centre.”

“What are you talking about old people love garden centres!”

“Not all ghosts are old people and don’t park so close to the building!” he exclaimed as Chanyeol pulled the car up near the doors.

Chanyeol sighed but turned the car down one of the marked rows and parked on the edge of the car park, near overgrown farmland.

Baekhyun jumped out and looked around warily. Everything was still and quiet and even his excitement about the garden centre couldn’t quell the bad feeling he had about the place.

“I don’t like this,” he said crossing his arms.

“You’re just hungry, you’ll feel better after you eat,” replied Chanyeol who had also gotten out the car and was already heading for the trailer. He opened the rear door and rummaged around. “I’ve got a camp stove in here somewhere if you want to eat something hot,” he said, sticking his head out of the trailer.

Baekhyun was still looking around suspiciously.

“No, let’s just eat cold stuff so we can get out of here quickly,” Baekhyun said.

“We’ve got plenty of time and we can decide about all that after we eat,” replied Chanyeol calmy. “I think I want ramyeon.”

He pulled out a small camp stove and started hooking up a gas tank.

Baekhyun was interested despite himself, he wandered over to look.

“What flavours have you got?” he asked and Chanyeol smiled and showed him the box in the back of the trailer.

Baekhyun looked through it while Chanyeol poured water from a large bottle into a pot to boil.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually going to eat something other than tuna?” asked Chanyeol, watching him.

“No,” said Baekhyun deprecatingly. “I’m going to eat this _and_ tuna.” He held up a JinRamen Mild flavour cup.

When the water had boiled, they ate sitting on a blanket on the ground. 

Baekhyun hummed happily to himself taking alternately bites of flaky tuna and hot salty ramyeon.

“Can you keep the sex noises to a minimum?” asked Chanyeol.

“Why? Am I turning you on?” asked Baekhyun, slurping up a forkful of hot ramyeon. He spluttered and gasped trying to suck in cool air. “Hot, hot,” he huffed fanning his mouth.

Chanyeol laughed. “Constantly. You’re just so incredibly sexy,” he said passing Baekhyun a bottle of water.

Baekhyun grabbed it gratefully and drank down some of the cool water.

“I burnt my tongue,” he complained. “This ramyeon is too hot.”

“Want me to blow on it?”

“Yes,” said Baekhyun thickly, touching his numb tongue gingerly against the top of his teeth.

Chanyeol leant over and blew into Baekhyun’s open mouth.

“Not on my tongue!” exclaimed Baekhyun shoving Chanyeol off him. “On the ramyeon!”

“Well, that’s no fun,” said Chanyeol, but he picked up Baekhyun’s ramyeon cup and blew on the noodles.

When they were done eating, Chanyeol packed up the camp stove and Baekhyun poured out the remaining hot water onto the weeds at the edge of the car park.

“Ok, let’s get out of here,” Baekhyun said as soon as the trailer door was shut.

“What do you mean? I thought we were going in?” asked Chanyeol.

“No, you said I could decide after we’d eaten,” replied Baekhyun heading for the passenger side car door.

“Only because I thought eating would make you more reasonable. C’mon it won’t take long, and we’ll bring guns just in case,” wheedled Chanyeol, grabbing his arm.

Baekhyun considered this. “The need to bring guns ‘just in case’ doesn’t make me feel any better about this!”

“We might find something really good! There’s a particular colour of electronic wire I’d like to get more of.”

“We have very different definitions of what’s really good!”

“Well, I’ll let you have whatever you want too! Whatever you can fit in the car, I promise!” said Chanyeol, rubbing his arm and giving him pleading looks.

Baekhyun thought about the garden centre and pursed his lips. The whole place did appear to be deserted and this might be their last chance to pick up supplies before they made it to the island.

“Alright,” he said slowly.

Chanyeol grabbed him around the waist and squeezed him tightly. “Thank you! You won’t regret it!” he exclaimed and released Baekhyun to open the back door of the car and start pulling out guns.

“I think I already do,” grumbled Baekhyun, as Chanyeol slung an automatic rifle over his shoulder.

“Let’s go,” said Chanyeol strapping on an enormous backpack.

They trudged across the car park towards the building. Chanyeol peering into each abandoned car as they went passed looking for anything useful.

Baekhyun didn’t want to look in case the remains of any of the car’s owners were still inside.

“Why did you park so far away?” grumbled Baekhyun.

Chanyeol looked at him. “You made me! Do you want to be the first ghost to haunt a car park?! Because I could arrange that!”

Baekhyun laughed.

“You want to check out garden centre first, right?”

“Yes,” replied Baekhyun, secretly hoping they wouldn’t need to go into the actual mall at all.

They looked around outside but all that was left was dead plants, most of which appeared to have been knocked over by the wind at some point.

Chanyeol peered through the front door and Baekhyun followed apprehensively. The glass door had been shattered and it was pulled off its hinges. The space inside was cavernous and dark. Chanyeol turned the torch strapped to his gun on and boldly stepped inside. Baekhyun followed doing the same and casting the beam around at the large floor-to-ceiling shelving which ran down each aisle. The place had a musty and earthy smell, cut through with the sharp chemically tang of liquid fertiliser.

“I’m going to look for irrigation systems,” said Chanyeol, marching off confidently.

Baekhyun walked down the aisles slowly. It was hard to know what to take without knowing what was on the island. He couldn’t exactly take the whole shop. I figured there would probably be some animals on the island and if there were he’d be able to get manure to fertilise the vegetable patches with so he avoided that whole aisle and ended up in front of a large display of seed packets.

He scoured the rack for any which might be useful to them, gathering some vegetables and a few different herbs. When he was done, he looked at the remaining colourful array of packets, staring at the small pictures of different kinds of flowers. One was a soft pale pink, with a deeper pink spreading out from the middle in an attractive pattern. 

A surprising longing overtook him, he had always felt accomplished when he’d grown vegetables, but he suspected he would feel a different sort of accomplishment to grow something so beautiful. He had never had a proper garden one entirely without any other purpose than to look good.

“What are you looking at?” asked Chanyeol, coming up behind him. 

“Seeds,” said Baekhyun, holding up a handful of the packets he’d collected.

“Anything good?”

“I got some more vegetables and some herbs,” said Baekhyun handing the packets to Chanyeol to put in his backpack.

Chanyeol glanced at the flower seed packet Baekhyun had been staring at still hanging on its hook.

“What about these?”

“Those are all just flowers,” Baekhyun said with a shrug. “They’re pretty but useless.”

“Like you?” said Chanyeol.

Baekhyun reached out to smack him on the arm.

“I’m joking,” Chanyeol said dodging the hit with a laugh. “You’re not even pretty!”

Baekhyun lunged forward and tried to hit him again.

“Let me finish,” said Chanyeol, fending off the blows and running around the side of the seed display. He peered around it. “You’re not pretty, you’re beautiful!”

Baekhyun lowered his arm hesitantly.

“...and useless!” added Chanyeol before ducking back behind the display again.

Baekhyun chased him as he ran laughing around the other side.

When Baekhyun caught up to him with his arms already raised to hit him he saw Chanyeol had the large backpack open and was scooping the flower seed packets off the display into it.

“What are you doing?” asked Baekhyun.

“They’re small and light,” explained Chanyeol. “And you clearly want them. I said you could have whatever you wanted.”

Baekhyun hesitated, before slipping his arms around Chanyeol’s neck dragging his face down to his height and kissing the side of his mouth.

Chanyeol smiled. “Heads up though because I’m definitely going to ask you to build me a huge garden maze once we’re all set up on the island.”

“A maze? Like with hedges?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright,” agreed Baekhyun, “but I might use it as an opportunity to trap you whenever you annoy me.”

“Not if I don’t go in,” retorted Chanyeol. “Who am I kidding? I would definitely go in! Please trap me a maze!”

“This is a kink I was not expecting, but I’m surprisingly into it,” Baekhyun said and Chanyeol laughed.

“Come and look at these,” said Chanyeol pulling him off down a nearby aisle and showing him several irrigation kits.

Baekhyun picked two and Chanyeol managed to stuff them into the backpack also.

“Is there anything else you want to look at in here?” Chanyeol asked, gesturing to the garden centre around them.

“No,” said Baekhyun reluctantly, he suspected he was about to be dragged into the mall.

“Great, let’s go!” said Chanyeol excitedly.

“Doesn’t look like there’s any room for anything else,” pointed out Baekhyun tapping the full backpack.

“Nah, I’ve got a duffle bag stuffed inside too,” explained Chanyeol. “We can use that for anything else we find.”

“Oh, good,” said Baekhyun miserably, trailing along behind him.

They couldn’t find an entrance that led straight from the garden centre, so they had to leave and walk around the building to yet another set of smashed glass doors. They stepped cautiously inside.

The mall was as creepy as Baekhyun thought it would be, dark and silent. Looking around with his torch it was readily apparent that others had been here before them. Shop doors were bent and destroyed and within the stores, he could see things pulled off the shelves and strewn all over the floor. There was graffiti on the walls and signs that at one time people may have lived there. The door had a tangle of shopping trolleys pushed to the side, like it had once been used as a barricade.

Chanyeol moved with purpose, peering into shops and kicking debris around. Baekhyun picked his way over the broken glass behind him.

“Chanyeol, I want to go. This place gives me the creeps,” hissed Baekhyun, pulling lightly on Chanyeol’s backpack.

“You don’t think it’s kind of…sexy?” asked Chanyeol, peering over his shoulder at him.

“No, for the last time I don’t find abandoned places sexy or romantic or any of the other weird emotions you seem to attribute to them!” exclaimed Baekhyun, his voice echoed around them and they both paused to listen but there was no sign that anyone else had heard them.

Apparently deciding there was nothing of interest on the ground floor Chanyeol indicated that they should go upstairs and started climbing the motionless escalator. Baekhyun trudged up behind him. The 1st floor had a large open balcony which opened up to the atrium below and it was much lighter, lit from above by an enormous skylight. Baekhyun was surprised by how the light made it feel instantly less oppressive. The shops on the 1st floor were less damaged too.

Chanyeol skirted around a glass barrier of the wide balcony and found a craft store. He barged his way inside. It was small and narrow and even more so with half the shelving pulled down so Baekhyun stayed outside. He looked around and spotted what looked like a small speciality supermarket the kind which stocked international food, at the opposite end of the balcony to the escalator and headed in that direction.

He pushed his way through the turnstile at the front of the supermarket and then walked slowly down the aisles, looking at the out-of-date food. He had to cover his mouth and run back the other way when he reached what had been the freezer section, the sickening smell of spoiled meat was overwhelming.

He wandered into the canned food aisle but it appeared to have been picked clean long ago.

He headed back to the front empty-handed when he heard a noise behind him. He turned and froze looking down the nearest dark aisle, listening hard. He heard the noise again. It was a rustling sound, too small to be human or zombie at least. He relaxed thinking it was probably a rat when something grabbed him from behind lifting him into the air.

He screamed, trying to fight it off and run at the same time.

“What’s wrong? It’s me!” exclaimed Chanyeol releasing him.

“Chanyeol?” gasped Baekhyun, spinning around to face him, his torchlight whirled dizzyingly till it settled on Chanyeol looking a little sheepish in the darkness. “What are you doing?!”

“Well, you seemed so nervous so I--”

“So, you thought It would be a good idea to creep up on me and grab me?!” interrupted Baekhyun angrily.

“Yeah!”

Baekhyun clicked off the safety lock on his gun threateningly.

“No, no don’t shoot me!” exclaimed Chanyeol trying to run out of the supermarket but getting stuck in the turnstile. “I was trying to help,” he said turning back around helplessly.

“Well, I’m sure it will be of great consolation to you to know that I was trying to help _when I shot you_!”

“Baekhyunnie,” said Chanyeol pleadingly.

“Don’t call me Baekhyunnie!”

“There’s a zombie rat behind you,” said Chanyeol suddenly pointing.

Baekhyun screamed and ran towards Chanyeol pushing him and trying to get out of the supermarket but only getting themselves more hopelessly tangled in the turnstile.

“Go over it! Over it!” he yelled.

“You try that while wearing this thing!” exclaimed Chanyeol, eventually yanking the heavy backpack off and dropping it over the other side.

Chanyeol hoisted himself over the turnstiles then reached back to help Baekhyun who swatted him away. They ran out into the middle of the mall. Baekhyun looked back at the supermarket warily.

“I didn’t know the virus could spread to animals!” he said.

“Can it?” asked Chanyeol.

“What do you mean ‘Can it?’! You just said you saw a zombie rat!”

“It was probably just a normal rat.”

“Then why did you say it was a zombie rat?!”

“I was trying to distract you, so you didn’t shoot me!” said Chanyeol defensively.

“Well, you better hope there’s an actual zombie to distract me this time!” yelled Baekhyun raising his gun at Chanyeol and at the same time seeing a mattress store over his shoulder. “Oh, a mattress store!” he exclaimed with interest lowering his gun and peering around Chanyeol.

“You want to go in?” asked Chanyeol quickly.

Baekhyun ignored him and walked over to the store’s entrance. Unlike most of the others, it didn’t appear to have been ransacked though some of the mattresses looked dirty and used.

He walked further into the store where plastic-wrapped mattresses looked completely untouched.

He sat down on one and bounced slightly, it was too firm. He got up and tried another one.

‘Oh, this one is nice,” he said sinking back onto it.

“Um,” said Chanyeol who seemed hesitant to draw attention to himself. “We don’t need a mattress,” he pointed out quietly.

“Yes, we do. I’d like somewhere comfortable to sleep.”

“The island was inhabited though, it’ll have mattresses,” said Chanyeol.

“I’d prefer not to sleep on anything dead people have used,” Baekhyun said, sitting up.

“You didn’t mind the mattress at the warehou—” began Chanyeol but he stopped talking quickly at the look Baekhyun gave him. He changed tacks. “We can’t take a mattress, where would be put it?!”

“We can put it on the roof! You said I could have whatever fits on the car!” Baekhyun reminded him.

“I said _in_ the car…. but you know it probably would fit on the roof,” he said, and Baekhyun could see his mind already working over the idea. “Oh, I’ve got bungee straps in the trailer we could attach it with.”

“So, I can have it?” Baekhyun asked hopefully.

“Yes, but you’ve got to help me carry it.”

Baekhyun reached out and wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s hips and toppled him down onto the mattress beside him.

In the half-light created by the torches, he found Chanyeol’s lips with his fingers and kissed him deeply.

“If you’re going to thank me like that you can have 2 mattresses,” murmured Chanyeol into his lips.

“I think we I only need one, don’t you?” said Baekhyun raising an eyebrow suggestively.

“Yeah, one is good,” agreed Chanyeol immediately, pulling him back into another kiss.

Baekhyun had one hand up Chanyeol's shirt and his face buried in his neck when he heard a creaking sound.

He looked up warily, but he could barely see anything in the dark store. The guns were laid out on the bed, their torches casting small dull pools of light which created eerie shadows in the corners of the store.

“What was that noise?” he whispered.

“It’s just the plastic on the mattress crinkling,” replied Chanyeol, “From all your writhing,” he added his voice low and amused.

“I’m not writhing, you are!” snapped back Baekhyun.

He heard the sound again from deeper in the shop and sat up quickly.

“Oh, actually I heard that too,” said Chanyeol, he sat up and picked up his gun, shining the light deeper into the store.

Nothing seemed to be moving but there was an employee’s only door which was slightly ajar and the even darker depths visible beyond, made Baekhyun shudder suddenly.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said urgently.

“Oh, but…” said Chanyeol, indicating vaguely to where they’d be laying.

“C’mon,” said Baekhyun, jumping up and pulling a reluctant Chanyeol up with him and slipping his gun back over his shoulder.

He tipped the heavy mattress on its side.

“You take the front, I’ll take the back,” he ordered, trying to get a handhold on the slippery plastic.

They edged out of the shop and headed in the direction of the escalator, Baekhyun trying not to trip over while holding the back of the mattress and still looking behind him as he walked. He was concerned about having his back to the shore and that creepily ajar door. He couldn’t hear anything over the loud crinkling of the plastic and their own footsteps and that made him still more nervous.

Though lighter than the shop had been the mall was darker than before, Baekhyun glanced up at the skylight and realised either the sun was going down or the weather had changed.

The murky light played tricks with his eyes and he couldn’t use his torch with both hands holding the mattress.

Suddenly Chanyeol stopped walking and Baekhyun lost his grip on the mattress letting his end fall.

“What are y—”

“Shhh,” whispered Chanyeol, he had also dropped his side of the mattress and was peering around into the gloom. “There’s something there,” he said, his voice barely audible.

Without the plasticky crinkling of the mattress’s cover Baekhyun could hear a slow, dragging sound and a familiar but stomach-lurching groan coming from behind them.

They let go of the mattress and ran out to the edge of the balcony then turned to face the store.

“See this is why I didn’t want to go to the abandoned mall!” hissed Baekhyun.

“It’s not abandoned now, is it?...it’s full of zombies apparently,” replied Chanyeol gesturing at the shop front as the zombie appeared. Its movements were slow and laborious more a lurch than a walk. Its flesh was almost rotted away completely, even his bones looked old and yellow.

When Baekhyun shot it neatly in the head, its skull shattered, and its desiccated brains formed a dusty cloud briefly in the air before raining down on the tiled floor.

“Well, that was gross,” said Baekhyun, covering his mouth.

Chanyeol tapped him on the arm and he turned to see him staring out across to the other side of the balcony at the wide entrance of the department store nearest to the top of the escalator. “There’s more of them.”

Baekhyun squinted, he could see a group of shadowy human-like shapes near the front of the shop now.

“We should just go,” he whispered.

“How? The escalator is right there,” Chanyeol said pointing at the top of the escalator only a few metres from the group of zombies. “I don’t know many of them are in there.” He moved his torchlight over the area, but the distance was too great to make any difference.

Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol’s gun down. “Don’t,” he hissed. “You’ll draw attention to us!”

“I think you shooting their friend already drew attention to us!”

“What are we going to do?” asked Baekhyun.

“Shoot our way out?” suggested Chanyeol.

“You just said you don’t know how many of them are in there!”

Chanyeol shrugged. “Well unless you’ve got a better idea…” he paused and looked back towards the mattress they had dropped. “Wait…I might have one.”

“I never like your ideas,” groaned Baekhyun.

“Well, you’re really not going to like this one,” replied Chanyeol, and he grabbed Baekhyun’s arm and pulled him over to the mattress. “Help me with this.”

“Help you do what?” asked Baekhyun picking up his end of the mattress again reluctantly.

Chanyeol moved quickly forward with the mattress and to Baekhyun’s surprise didn’t stop when he reached the balcony.

“Let go!” Chanyeol exclaimed as he shoved the mattress up over the glass barrier, it fell landing with a muffled thwomp on the ground floor atrium.

“How does that help us?!” exclaimed Baekhyun, peering over the railing at it.

“Good. It landed pretty close,” said Chanyeol, also looking down at it and clearly not listening.

“What?”

Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun around the waist and spun him around and kissed him on the mouth suddenly. “I love you...don’t kill me for this,” he said.

“What?” repeated Baekhyun, before Chanyeol hoisted him up onto the railing and pushed him over.

For a second it felt like he hung there in mid-air before wind seemed to rush up around him and he was falling. It was so sudden he didn’t have time to process what was happening before he landed on his back on the mattress, all the air knocked forcefully from his lungs.

He lay on his back gasping and bewildered and it took him a second to focus on what he could see above. Chanyeol was climbing over the railing.

He rolled swiftly off the mattress just as Chanyeol crashed down onto it.

He crawled towards Chanyeol who was sprawled out face down on the mattress.

“Are you ok?” Baekhyun gasped grabbing one of his arms.

Chanyeol sat up slowly. “Yeah,” he said somewhat doubtfully, “that wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

“We should go,” said Baekhyun urgently, tugging on his arm and glancing towards the stationary escalator.

“I should have taken the backpack off,” groaned Chanyeol, rubbing his back.

“Chanyeol! We need to go!” hissed Baekhyun.

“No, it’s ok, we’re fine,” said Chanyeol, trying to lie back down.

“What do you mean?!” asked Baekhyun. “They might come down here at any moment, we should go.”

“Really, it’s ok,” said Chanyeol cagily. “After you fell, I um…got a better look at them…” he trailed off.

“At the zombies?”

“Yeah, they…weren’t zombies,” Chanyeol said in a small voice.

“What?”

“They were mannequins,” whispered Chanyeol cringing.

“You fucking almost killed me over some mannequins?!” exploded Baekhyun.

“Hey, you thought they were zombies too! And you’re fine, you landed on the mattress.”

“If you realised, they were mannequins then why the hell did you jump?” asked Baekhyun incredulously.

“I thought you’d be less annoyed at me If I did it too,” replied Chanyeol.

“Except that you almost landed on me!”

“If you think about it…it’s kind of romantic,” said Chanyeol with a hopeful smile.

“It’s not romantic!” snapped back Baekhyun. “And I take it back; I don’t want to share with you! I want two mattresses! Separate mattresses!” He clambered up.

“Oh c’mon,” said Chanyeol, also standing up with effort. “Don’t be like that.”

“You can have this squished one,” said Baekhyun, prodding the mattress with his foot.

“It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Baekhyun was annoyed to see that the mattress did look mostly fine though the outer plastic had ripped in places.

“It’s ripped,” he said.

“Just pull the plastic off, it will be easier to carry without it anyway,” pointed out Chanyeol and he tipped the mattress up on its side and started ripping the plastic covering off.

“Easier for you to carry. I’m getting my own,” he said marching off towards the escalator.

Just then a quiet creaking sound reached his ears from the 1st floor. He remembered the ajar door at the back of the mattress store and the uneven gait of the old zombie. He peered warily up the escalator for a second, then stormed back over to Chanyeol and picked up one end of the mattress.

“Oh, you’re going to share with me now, are you?” asked Chanyeol amused.

“No!” retorted Baekhyun. “But…you can share with _me_.”

“That’s very generous of you,” said Chanyeol, picking up his end of the mattress.

The mattress was easier to carry without the slippery plastic and they hauled it out into the car park.

When they reached the car they hoisted the mattress up onto the roof and Chanyeol rummaged around the in the back of the trailer till he found some bungee straps to attach it.

They used the car’s running boards to stand on and make sure it was firmly strapped down. Then Chanyeol climbed up onto the mattress.

“Oh, I think it’s even comfier now it’s been squashed a bit,” he called down to Baekhyun.

“Really?” asked Baekhyun doubtfully.

“Yeah, get up here!”

Chanyeol reached over the side and Baekhyun jumped up on the running board and let Chanyeol pull him up onto the mattress.

He tumbled down on his back and Chanyeol leant over and kissed him.

“So, this was your plan,” said Baekhyun smiling.

“I thought you didn’t like my plans?” teased Chanyeol. He unstrapped Baekhyun’s gun and laid it next to his own.

“Maybe they’re not all bad,” considered Baekhyun, slipping an arm around Chanyeol’s neck and pulling him in.

Chanyeol fell heavily onto him and when he opened his mouth to apologise Baekhyun kissed him deeply, stealing the words from his lips. They kissed desperately for a few minutes but Baekhyun couldn’t help being aware of the openness of their location. Even the movement of the trees in the wind made him glance around. 

He pushed Chanyeol off him gently.

“Actually, it’s kind of exposed here,” Baekhyun said scanning the fast-darkening car park nervously. “Shouldn't one of us be keeping watch?”

“Alright, you keep watch, while I do this,” said Chanyeol, he sat back and pulled Baekhyun up into a sitting position, with his legs around him. He kissed Baekhyun’s neck tenderly.

“Ok, yeah that’s a good idea,” agreed Baekhyun, he was weak for neck kisses.

He felt cool air on his stomach and realised Chanyeol was popping open the buttons on his shirt.

Baekhyun was distracted from keeping watch by the sight and feel of Chanyeol making his slow descent, kissing a wet meandering line down his chest. He was getting very turned on and suddenly the rustling of the trees didn’t seem so concerning.

Chanyeol’s fingers toyed with the zipper of his pants inching it down with teasing slowness. Their eyes met and Chanyeol gave him a flirtatious look while pressing his warm lips to Baekhyun’s hip bone. His pants were feeling tighter by the second, he wanted them off immediately and Chanyeol had the same idea because he tugged at the tight pants ineffectually.

“You shouldn’t wear such tight pants,” chided Chanyeol.

“You made me wear these!” exclaimed Baekhyun, but he lifted his hips and wriggled helpfully till the pants came down.

Chanyeol trailed wet kisses gently down the sensitive skin of Baekhyun’s left inner thigh while Baekhyun wriggled. He was fighting the overwhelming urge to touch himself if Chanyeol wasn’t going to. Chanyeol watched him for a second, then very deliberately moved to his right thigh and began giving it the same treatment.

“Chanyeol,” groaned Baekhyun.

“What?” asked Chanyeol innocently. He looked up at Baekhyun teasingly, “Did I miss a spot?”

“Yes! You missed a very big spot!”

Chanyeol laughed leaning in as he did so, and his breath tickled the sensitive tip of Baekhyun’s cock.

Baekhyun gasped involuntarily.

“What this one?” Chanyeol asked and he licked a wet line right up the shaft.

Baekhyun moaned in appreciation and Chanyeol slipped his lips around him gently taking him into his mouth.

Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun watching him. 

“When I said to keep watch I didn't mean watch me suck you off,” teased Chanyeol.

Baekhyun laughed. “I can’t help it,” he said.

He tried to look away, watching the car park around them for signs of movement, but eyes were drawn back to the intoxicating sight of Chanyeol his eyes closed looking utterly blissed out, sliding his hot mouth up and down on his hard length. 

“Have I ever told you how much I love your thighs?” asked Chanyeol, bending down and sucking insistently on the pale skin of his left thigh again.

“Constantly and don’t start again now,” groaned Baekhyun, lifting his hips, he was trying not to look as desperate as he felt and failing. “Maybe you could go back to what you were doing before?”

Chanyeol laughed softly. “What this?” he asked slipping his mouth around the end of his cock once more.

“Hmm keep it up,” moaned Baekhyun.

“Oh, it’s up,” said Chanyeol, tonguing the sensitive spot where the head met the shaft.

“Shut up,” Baekhyun laughed and Chanyeol took him completely in his mouth again. He was enveloped in blissful warmth and the delicious pressure which had been building with every tantalising moment took him over completely. He came with a slightly apologetic exclamation but Chanyeol didn’t seem to mind.

“That was really hot,” said Chanyeol, his warm hands still gripping Baekhyun’s thighs.

“Gimme a minute,” mumbled Baekhyun, who had flopped backwards onto the mattress. His mind felt wonderfully empty and soft like it was stuffed full of cotton wool.

Chanyeol lay down next to him and through half-closed eyes, he could see him smiling. He reached out and touched Chanyeol’s chest, pressing a hand against its firmness and Chanyeol covered his hand with own and squeezed.

Chanyeol opened his mouth to speak and Baekhyun interrupted immediately,” If you say thank you, I will push you off this car.”

Chanyeol laughed.

“At least wait till you have something to actually thank me for,” continued Baekhyun, dragging himself up.

“Eh?” asked Chanyeol.

Baekhyun pushed him down on his back enjoying the look of excited surprise on his face. He pushed his shirt up at the bottom and kissed his stomach, tracing the groove of his hip bone with his tongue. He rubbed the obvious hardness in his pants teasingly with his hand eliciting a desperate groan from Chanyeol.

Smiling to himself he unzipped Chanyeol’s pants and tugged them down in one swift movement which earned him a gasp of surprise.

It had been quite a while since he’d done this and he was feeling excited and a little nervous but the way Chanyeol was watching him so tenderly like every move he made was perfect bolstered his confidence.

He gently cupped Chanyeol’s balls in one hand and squeezed lightly, the other hand gripping the base of his ready cock and slipped his lips over the tip.

“Oh god you're good at this,” exclaimed Chanyeol appreciatively.

Baekhyun tongued slow circles around the tip then slowly took all of him into his mouth. He pulled back and then sank back down again, building up a steady rhythm with his hands and mouth.

“You look so sexy with my cock in your mouth,” exclaimed Chanyeol.

Baekhyun considered telling him to shut up but he realised he found Chanyeol’s very vocal appreciation of his skills both amusing and flattering. He wondered what it would take to push him over the edge.

He slid Chanyeol’s length slowly out of his mouth keeping his lips against the tip, he looked up at Chanyeol through his lashes.

“Your cock tastes so good,” he breathed.

Chanyeol’s eyes already heavy-lidded with desire widened slightly.

“Oh, I'm gonna cum,” he gasped out, pressing his hips up greedily.

Baekhyun let him control the rhythm and after a few frenzied moments, he released in Baekhyun’s mouth. Baekhyun swallowed, slightly impressed by his own abilities.

Chanyeol grabbed him by his upper arm and pulled him down onto the mattress with him.

“Oh my god, you are so good at that. I feel bad for anyone who hasn't slept you with. I even feel bad for past me because I hadn't slept with you yet,” said Chanyeol, peppering his face with lazy kisses.

“You’re rambling.”

“I know!”

“So, you got your wish then,” said Baekhyun.

“Eh?” asked Chanyeol, who still looked dazed.

“I might not be useful, but I am good in bed,” teased Baekhyun.

“You are useful. What would I do without you?” mumbled Chanyeol, gazing at him lovingly.

“You’re only saying that because you just came,” scoffed Baekhyun. 

“I’m not, you are my partner in crime. I’d be lost without you.”

“You’re rambling again,” said Baekhyun fondly.

He watched Chanyeol clearly struggling to keep his eyes open.

"You sleep for a bit and I'll keep watch,” he offered, sitting up enough that he could look out across the car park.

"Thanks,” mumbled Chanyeol and he snuggled down against Baekhyun’s stomach.

Baekhyun watched Chanyeol as much as he watched the deserted car park. He watched his eyes close and his breathing slow down to the quiet constant rhythm of sleep.

Everything was so still and quiet and Baekhyun’s eyes felt so heavy all of a sudden. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them, then 10 seconds, then 30 seconds and then he didn’t open them at all.

He woke to the sound of the commune's unusually punctual rooster. That meant it was 4.30 am and this week he was on breakfast duty so he needed to get up and collect the water and start the fire immediately. He groaned and rolled over in his bunk bed putting off the moment of complete awakeness as long as possible.

He very reluctantly opened his eyes.

He was on top of a car, the sun was barely an orange streak on the horizon. The early morning fog made the outlet mall building in the distance look hazy and out of focus. He felt a moment of pure relief looking down at Chanyeol still sleeping, curled up, his face pressed into Baekhyun’s side as he realised the commune was just a dream.

The rooster crowed again, and he was surprised to find that that wasn’t also a dream. He sat up and looked around. Somewhere off to the left side of the car park, there was definitely a rooster.

“Chanyeol! It’s a rooster,” he said shaking Chanyeol roughly.

“So, you can shoot it, you’re a good shot,” mumbled Chanyeol, rolling over to press his face further into the mattress.

“I don’t want to shoot it I want to catch it, where there's roosters there’s hens!” he exclaimed, struggling to pull up his tight pants.

“Eh?” groaned Chanyeol.

“Chickens! Chanyeol!”

Chanyeol sat up abruptly. “Chickens? I’m up, I’m up,” he said looking blearily around.

Baekhyun slipped his gun strap over his shoulder and jumped off the side of the car’s roof, landing heavily on his feet and running in the direction he’d heard the rooster. A few moments later he heard Chanyeol following him. 

He ran through the small wilderness to the side of the car park, while doing up his shirt buttons and came out on some overgrown farmland. He skirted a large ditch till he found an already broken-down part of the wire fence surrounding the property. He stomped the loose wire down to make it easier to climb over. Once inside the fence, he paused waiting for Chanyeol to catch up and listening for the rooster. After it minute it crowed again and the sound seemed to be coming near a dilapidated shed ahead of them.

“I think it’s around there somewhere,” he said pointing, and they moved quietly towards the shed.

On the opposite side was an old chicken coop, its paint faded and peeling, and the door was open and lopsided. There were a couple of chickens inside still and a few more were pecking desultorily at the sparse grass outside the coop. 

They looked at Baekhyun and Chanyeol warily as they approached. One made an offended clucking sound before running back into the coop, the others followed. Baekhyun quickly wrenched the door shut behind them to keep them in.

“That’ll keep them from getting away till we can find something to put them in,” said Baekhyun looking around.

“I’ll get the duffle bag,” replied Chanyeol.

“No! You can’t put chickens in a duffle bag!”

“I’ll leave the top open a bit so they can breathe,” said Chanyeol.

“No. These are very precious chickens. These might be the only chickens we ever see again. We have to look after them,” Baekhyun said.

“Ok, well let’s take a look around and see what we can find,” suggested Chanyeol.

They wandered around the area the coop was in. There was lots of rusted and abandoned farm equipment strewn about carelessly. Chanyeol made a beeline for the rundown old shed.

“Do you reckon there’s a tractor in here?” he called happily as he went.

“No tractors!” exclaimed Baekhyun warningly. “You can’t transport chickens in a tractor.”

“Yeah, you can. You just put them in the bucket loader at the front,” said Chanyeol, disappearing into the shed before Baekhyun could reply.

Baekhyun sighed, he was looking at a smaller storage structure off the side of the shed which the coop backed onto.

There were large dusty bags inside, he wiped the front of one with the back of his hand and realised it was chicken feed.

“Jackpot,” Baekhyun said, just as he heard Chanyeol coming up behind him.

“Not a single tractor,” said Chanyeol morosely. “What kind of a farm doesn’t have a tractor?!”

“The kind I like,” muttered Baekhyun.

“But look what I found,” Chanyeol exclaimed holding up a rectangular wire cage.

Baekhyun gasped happily and ran forward only then taking in the broken side of the cage where the wires seemed to have rusted. “It’s a bit broken,” he said disappointedly.

“I’ll fix it,” replied Chanyeol simply, and he sat down on the ground and pulled out a swiss army knife from his pocket.

Baekhyun watched him carefully prise out a pair of pliers from the knife and start bending the wires of the cage.

“I found some chicken food,” he said. “I’ll take it back to the trailer, while you finish that.”

He set to work dragging 2 heavy bags back through to the car park.

“Bet a tractor doesn’t sound so bad anymore, ay?” observed Chanyeol, when Baekhyun reappeared sweating and panting slightly. 

Baekhyun was tempted to kick him but didn’t want him to stab himself with rusted wire by accident so refrained and instead grabbed the last bag of feed and hauled it off to the trailer.

When he came back the repaired cage was sitting neatly by the coop door and Chanyeol was inside running about while some indignant chickens squawked and flew around in a shower of feathers.

He watched for a moment before laughing as a particularly fat chicken slipped through Chanyeol’s fingers.

“I can’t catch any of them,” panted Chanyeol, bending over and resting his hands on his knees.

“That’s not how you catch chickens,” exclaimed Baekhyun, opening the coop door and entering too. Chanyeol had feathers in his hair and he plucked them out laughing. “Stand still for a bit while the chickens calm down,” he said.

“How still do we need to stand?”

“Hmm?” asked Baekhyun.

“I mean could I…do this?” he asked edging over to Baekhyun and tugging his shirt down at the collar, so his collarbones and right shoulder were exposed. He applied his warm lips to the bare skin while Baekhyun rolled his head appreciatively.

“Stop. You’re traumatising my chickens,” he protested half-heartedly.

“They better get used to it,” laughed Chanyeol, resuming his very insistent sucking.

“C’mon we should try and catch them, who knows how long it will take,” said Baekhyun, pushing him off.

Very slowly he approached a lone chicken, feigning complete indifference to it as he got closer then he reached out and firmly grabbed it around the body with both hands.

“I got it!” he exclaimed.

“I’m not surprised, I know you know how to handle a cock,” said Chanyeol.

“If I wasn’t holding a chicken right now you’d be in trouble,” laughed Baekhyun. “Now get the damn cage would you.”

“Are your hands getting slippery holding that cock?” asked Chanyeol as he opened the coop door and pulled the cage inside.

“Another word and I will throw this chicken at you, Chanyeol!” threatened Baekhyun.

Chanyeol laughed and opened the wire for Baekhyun to push the chicken inside.

Chanyeol opened his mouth and Baekhyun covered it quickly with a hand. “Less dirty talk more chicken catching!”

He released Chanyeol who spluttered and spat, “Ew, your hands taste like--”

“Say it and I will do it again!”

“What? They taste like chickens!”

“Oh, I thought you were going to say—”

“What? Cock?” interrupted Chanyeol loudly. “It’s lucky for you that I happen to like the taste of cock.”

“Very lucky,” laughed Baekhyun. “Now shut up and catch some chickens.”

He snuck up on another unobservant chicken and grabbed it. “Open the cage, open the cage!” he said.

Chanyeol opened it quickly so he could put the chicken inside.

“Is this just my job now? Cage opener?”

“If you’re not going to catch any chickens, then yes!”

“I’m going to try to catch one,” Chanyeol said determinedly, and he began stalking a brown chicken who immediately noticed him and sped up.

Chanyeol long legs were ill-suited to catching chickens, every time he bent down to grab one, they had already gotten away. After 5 more attempts, he went and stood by the cage, opening the door quickly whenever Baekhyun approached with another chicken.

“That seems to be all the hens,” said Baekhyun peering into the small shelter in the corner of the coop. “But I don’t see the rooster anywhere.”

“It’s outside,” said Chanyeol. “I saw it before.”

“Why didn’t you say so? We need to catch it too.”

“Do we?”

“Uh, yes, unless you want these to be the last chickens we have.”

Chanyeol considered this for second before frowning and saying, “What?”

“Do I seriously have to explain chicken sex to you?!”

“Chick—oh?!” said Chanyeol. “Yeah, we need that rooster.”

“Where did you see it?”

“Around the side of the shed,” replied Chanyeol. He picked up the chicken cage and carried to as levelly as possible while Baekhyun followed.

They hunted around and eventually found the rooster in some grass nearby. It wasn’t particularly big, but it puffed itself out threateningly as they approached.

“It um…looks kind of mean,” said Chanyeol, watching the rooster concernedly.

“Yeah, they can be, see the claws on it,” Baekhyun said pointing at the chicken’s feet. “Give me your shirt!”

“What?!”

“I’m going to throw it over it. So, it doesn’t scratch me,” explained Baekhyun, holding his hand out for the shirt.

“Use your own shirt,” said Chanyeol backing away.

“But you look so much better shirtless,” wheedled Baekhyun.

“Flattery will not work on me,” said Chanyeol, wrapping his arms around his chest protectively.

“I know what works on you,” said Baekhyun mysteriously.

“What?” asked Chanyeol looking confused.

“Put the chickens down for a second.”

“No,” said Chanyeol said backing away further.

Baekhyun lunged towards him and Chanyeol dropped the cage and ran.

“Why are you running?” called Baekhyun, running after him.

“Because you’re chasing me!” yelled Chanyeol.

Baekhyun managed to corner him between the chicken coop and the shed door.

He leant in and Chanyeol bent over flinching. Baekhyun kissed his ear as this was all he could reach.

Chanyeol looked up surprised and Baekhyun grabbed him and kissed him on the mouth.

“Wait, why was I running if you’re just trying to kiss me?”

“I don’t know,” laughed Baekhyun. He traced the shape of Chanyeol’s upper lip teasingly with his tongue.

“That tickles,” said Chanyeol and he pulled him in for a proper kiss.

“Well, if you want to do this properly?” gasped Baekhyun into his lips and he tugged Chanyeol away from the shed wall and sank down onto the grass, pulling Chanyeol down with him.

He pushed Chanyeol down onto his back and straddled him, using his hands to push Chanyeol’s shirt up. Baekhyun trailed his fingers tantalisingly down his bare chest and Chanyeol helpfully tugged his own shirt up over his head and dropped it on the grass.

Baekhyun grabbed the discarded shirt. “Thank you,” he said, struggling to his feet and running away with it.

“Wait. What just happened?” asked Chanyeol, still sitting on the grass and looking slightly dazed.

“You very kindly gave me your shirt so I can catch this rooster,” called Baekhyun, edging carefully closer to the rooster. “Get the cage ready.”

He dove, throwing the shirt over it and managing to scoop the thrashing rooster up.

“Open the cage, open the cage!” he yelled.

Chanyeol threw open the cage door and Baekhyun managed to push the rooster inside. He shook it out of the shirt, then slammed the cage door closed, panting.

“Here you go,” he said holding the rumpled shirt out to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol folded his arms looking at it with distaste. “Yeah, I think I’ll just get a new one out of the car, thanks.”

“Or you could stay like that,” suggested Baekhyun quietly, watching him carry the chicken cage towards the car park.

“What?” asked Chanyeol over his shoulder.

“I didn’t say anything,” denied Baekhyun, running to catch up. “Must have been the chickens clucking.”

“Funny how a chicken clucking can sound so much like you admiring my physique,” teased Chanyeol.

When they reached the car, Chanyeol got a new shirt out of one of the garbage bags in the back and pulled it on. 

“I think we should put the chickens in the back of the car,” said Baekhyun thoughtfully, he reached into the car and put the chicken cage on the backseat between the garbage bags.

“They smell,” said Chanyeol, who didn’t appear pleased with the idea.

“Well then it will be a good incentive for you to get to the island faster and not stop to look at things all the time,” said Baekhyun.

“We stopped because you wanted to eat!”

“Oh, that reminds me, let’s eat before we go,” said Baekhyun.

He went around to the front of the passenger side of the car climbed in, turning in his seat to lean into the back and check the position of the cage.

“What do you want to eat?” asked Chanyeol, dumping his rifle on the driver’s side seat.

“Ramen!”

“Really? no tu—”

“And Tuna!”

“Ah there is it,” he said smiling. “I’ll get out the stove.”

But when Baekhyun looked up Chanyeol was still standing beside the driver’s side door patting his pockets and looking around.

“What's wrong?” Baekhyun asked.

“I can't find my lighter.”

“So? There’s a bunch of them in the trailer,” said Baekhyun, he remembered seeing them when they packed.

“No, I need this one,” said Chanyeol. He was checking all around his car seat now.

“Why? Just use a different one,” said Baekhyun.

“But…you gave me this one,” said Chanyeol.

It occurred to Baekhyun which lighter Chanyeol was talking about. It was the one Chanyeol had taken out of his pocket the first day they had met.

“No, I didn't!” he exclaimed, “You stole it from me after you very inappropriately frisked me and it's just a regular lighter.”

“It must have fallen out of my pocket when we were chasing the chickens,” said Chanyeol clearly not listening. “I'm going to go and get it. I'll be back in a minute,” he said.

“No, Chanyeol. Just leave it,” yelled Baekhyun, but he was already gone beyond the trees and out of sight.

Baekhyun huffed and leant into the back of the car again, returning the task of making sure the chicken cage was stable, so it wouldn’t move around as they drove.

Suddenly he heard the hollow metallic popping of gunshots nearby.

He turned quickly to look out the front windshield, catching sight as he did of Chanyeol’s assault rifle still laying on the driver’s seat where he’d left it.

"Chanyeol," he gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 1 chapter to go now!


End file.
